A Fire Within
by Aprila
Summary: Ginny is abandoned by the trio in their search for the horcruxes. How does she deal with their abandonment and a practically deserted Hogwarts? She finds companionship in the least likely place. Ginny and Draco have more in common than they know. DMGW.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I do not own anything. This has been reviced since it was originally posted, and all of the irrelevant author's notes pulled. Thanks for reading!

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The whistle for the Hogwarts Express blew, and the few clusters of people huddled on Platform 9 3/4 started before realizing that it was only the train. The platform was amazingly bare; never before had so few people come to send their children off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The paranoid gazes and urgent whispers among those who were standing there that brisk September morning were all without a doubt in response to this dismal turnout- and of course the reason that no one was there. The wizarding world had been in a constant state of unrest since the spring before when Voldemort staged his first public display of power at Hogwarts. It was not unusual to see empty streets hurried glances.

At five minutes until eleven, a large group bustled loudly and anxiously through the barrier onto the platform. It was a motley crowd: a redheaded family, an ominous looking man with a hat pulled low over his face in a poor attempt to hide his terrifying electric blue eye that whirred unnaturally all over the platform, a tall man whose sandy hair was sprinkled with grey to aid his prematurely wrinkled face and shabby clothing in making him look far older than he was, a young woman with spiky magenta locks, a girl with bushy brown hair, and a thin, pale boy with raven hair, emerald green eyes and a lightning-bolt shaped scar running down his forehead. Indeed the group was a strange compilation of people even without taking into consideration their magical skills.

"Ginny, are you sure you got everything? It will be harder to send things up to school this year if you've forgotten anything," asked the plump redheaded woman while grasping her daughter's arm slightly too tightly to be considered comfortable.

"Yes, mother," she groaned and pulled her arm away.

The shabby wizard looked at the young raven-haired boy with caution as if choosing his words carefully, "Harry, you will be careful this year, won't you? At Hogwarts, or not, nobody is safe."

Harry glanced sharply at Remus Lupin before calming enough to say, "Yes, professor, of course," as Ron, the lanky redhead, and Hermione, the bushy-haired brunette, exchanged a glance.

The whistle for the train blew again, and Molly Weasley cried, "Oh for heaven's sake, you can't miss the train. Hurry along!" as she pushed them toward the nearest car. After a few moments of confused goodbyes and words of wisdom, the kids moved into the train. Ginny ascended first and Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed aboard behind her carrying an odd assortment of creatures: a large squash-faced ginger cat, a beautiful snowy owl, and a tiny twittering owl that looked about to burst with energy.

The small groups of people on the platform, now including a smaller, but no less odd-looking group, near where the children had just entered, all stared anxiously at the train, though their nervous eyes seemed to wander around them in search of some hidden evil.

"Thank Merlin that is over with," sighed Ron heaving his things forward into the train car.

"So where should we sit?" Ginny asked looking around, though it didn't seem to matter, because they appeared to be the only ones in their car, and the group could have the pick of the lot.

Hermione looked at Ron out of the corner of her eyes, though he was looking expectantly at Harry.

"Well, uhh, you see…" Harry began uncomfortably. Ginny looked at him curiously.

Harry looked back toward Ron and Hermione for help, but all he got was an approving nod from Hermione. "Well, Ginny, we're actually not going to sit," he finished quickly and somewhat lamely.

Ginny blinked at him.

Hermione sighed, "What Harry means, is that we're not going to ride the train. We're not going to Hogwarts."

"Okay… you're what?" she responded shaking her head stupidly. _Bloody hell_, she thought, _they are doing it now!_

"Ginny, you're not stupid so stop acting like it," Ron bit out in frustration. He immediately regretted it as she quickly turned on him.

"Well, why don't you lot just say what is going on here, then?" she retorted in a desperate attempt to delay her mind processing that she knew exactly what was going on. In fact, she had known since last spring at Dumbledore's funeral that this would happen. She spent half of the summer expecting to wake up and find them gone. As the days passed and their conspiratorial whispering increased so did her anxiety, but the day had not come and they had boarded the train. She thought she was safe here. She thought that they had changed their mind.

"Ginny, you know what I have to do. What we have to do." Harry said in a voice that was meant to be consoling, but just sounded bloody irritating to Ginny.

"And I suppose by 'we' you mean you three and not me," she replied bitterly. _Of course he does_, she thought to herself, _why are you making this harder than it should be?_

The three older students looked between each other as if saying 'I knew she was going to act like this.'

"Of course we do, Ginny. I can't take my baby sister out to deal with… well with you know what." Ron finished.

Before she could retort, Harry jumped in, "We couldn't put you through that. I thought you understood that this is the way that it has to be. I need to know you're safe. I need… well anyway, you need to stay away from it and since we are headed toward trouble, you will be as far away from us as possible."

Ginny glared at the three uncomfortable looking people in front of her and tried to take that look in Harry's eyes as sincere, but she wanted to whip out her wand and hex him with the most powerful bat bogey jinx she could. As it stood, however, she knew she wouldn't, she knew she was not surprised, and she knew that no matter what she put herself through right now, nothing would change- they were leaving and she would be alone at school. _Probably completely alone judging by the state of the platform and the car_, she thought bitterly.

"Fine," she muttered uncharacteristically. Ron looked horrified.

"What? Aren't you going to argue and try and blow my head off or something?" he asked.

"Ronald, be quiet," Hermione scolded. "I am really glad you understand, Ginny." She spoke too comfortingly. _I'll show you comfort_, Ginny thought,_ how about I jinx you so that you can never move again- wouldn't it be comfy to lay about immobile all day on your ruddy arse_. "I also wondered if perhaps you'd take care of Crookshanks and the others. We can't bring them with us, and they could keep you company," Hermione continued, oblivious to Ginny boiling insides.

"Oh yes, I'd just love to!" Ginny's voice dripped with sarcasm as she grabbed Crookshanks a little too forcibly from Hermione's arms and winced as he dug his claws into her forearms. _Ruddy cat_.

"Right, well then." Harry looked at Ron as he placed Hedwig's cage in front of the fuming redhead. They communicated silently with their eyes before looking back to Ginny.

"Well, I love you, Gin." Ron said stepping toward his sister. Ginny stepped back and held Crookshanks firmly in front of her.

"You too," she replied.

"We'll be back soon, Ginny," Harry muttered uncomfortably.

"Right"

"Okay then, you boys ready?" Hermione asked. When they nodded, she looked toward Ginny one last time before screwing her face up in concentration. _Are they are going to apparate off of a moving train?_ Ginny wondered, but before anything could happen, a door at the far end of the car creaked open and a tall boy with uncharacteristically disheveled platinum blonde hair moved quickly forward without looking up.

"Malfoy!" Harry shouted having grabbed his wand and aimed it in a split second at the sound of the door.

Draco Malfoy looked up at the surprised group.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Ron bellowed moving toward the blonde.

"Trying to get to my seat, thanks," he muttered bitterly as he brushed past Ron and the other three.

Hermione threw Ginny a look that clearly asked, "What in the name of Merlin is he doing here?"

"What are you too afraid to talk to us ferret-face? Afraid you might meet the same end your parents did? It's all your fault you know," Ron yelled at the retreating back, while Hermione looked astonished and Harry seemed flustered.

Malfoy's pace faltered and he stopped, his hand on the doorknob. He slowly turned to see the smirk on Ron's flushed face. "Why don't you…" he began with his hand tightening on his wand in his robes, before it slackened a bit, "… just grow up, Weasley," he finished quietly before opening the door and disappearing into the next car.

There was a moment of silence in which Ginny took in the boys' clearly shocked faces. She fought to control a chuckle. Ron finally reacted and looked as if he was going to move toward where Malfoy had just disappeared when Hermione's hand reached out and stopped him.

"Let it go, Ron. We need to go while we still can."

"What is he doing here? He shouldn't be here! And Ginny! He'll be here with Ginny!" throwing out several short and somewhat disjointed sentences as his face reddened even more.

Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Ginny. "We can't let him stay here with you!" he spit out quickly.

Ginny's eyes narrowed, "I can take care of myself, believe it or not! Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?" _And here I thought I liked this prat?_

Hermione reached to Harry and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "She's right. She'll be fine. We really need to go!"

"Fine," he muttered with a sideways glance to a very angry redhead.

The three screwed up their faces in concentration and with a few loud pops, disapparated. _Damn, _thought Ginny bitterly taking in the blank space in front of her, _I had hoped that they would splinch themselves. They haven't even been properly apparating for a month… Rotten luck. I would have liked to wreak havoc on some poor, forgotten limbs. _With that, she gathered her things and moved angrily toward the front of the car peering into windows looking for any sign of human life on the seemingly deserted train.


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny trudged slowly forward through the train looking for someone she knew to sit with. _Well actually just anyone period_, she thought_, there doesn't seem to be anyone on this train!_

She was, of course, prepared for a dramatic drop in attendance this year after death eaters swarmed Hogwarts at the end of the previous school year, but that could not prepare her for just how few seemed to have come. The new headmistress, Professor McGonagall, had sent out owls in mid-July with a letter confirming that the school would indeed remain open as long as there were students who wanted to attend. It would appear that not many wanted to, or more likely, that not many parents were willing to part with their children in the trying times upon them.

There was a time when Hogwarts was considered the safest place to be. Draco Malfoy had ruined that reputation with a fairly simple scheme to let Voldemort's supporters in, though truth be told, he worked himself ragged to carry out that "simple scheme."

Ginny sighed as she passed through yet another empty car, but movement ahead caught her attention. _Thank Merlin, there actually are people on here besides me!_ She moved pointedly toward the car and grabbed the handle to open the door to the compartment without looking inside.

The door was already open before she realized that a platinum blonde was staring coolly at her. Ginny stopped quickly and for a moment just stared having been taken off guard. She was jolted back into reality when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you going to stare at me all day, Weaslette, or is there a reason you barged in on me?" he asked in a flat voice.

Ginny glared and said bitingly, "No, I was looking for human life on this empty train and thought that I saw some in here. I guess I was wrong." She promptly turned and left, letting the door close with a clatter.

As she walked away, Ginny couldn't get over how dead his eyes looked. Hollow even. No one had ever accused Draco Malfoy of having feelings, but she expected to see something more after the death of his parents. She had read in the Daily Prophet that Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had been attacked by Voldemort a few weeks after last term. The Order suspected it was because of Draco's failure to complete his mission. It was his punishment. Somehow Ginny didn't think that murdering his family, and probably Voldemort's top supporters, was a good way to make the boy more obedient. Frankly, she thought it was stupid, but then again she also thought that murder was a stupid waste as well, so none of it sat well with her. His continued stoniness was unexpected, though. _He can't even let down his walls to properly mourn his parents_, she thought. _It's kind of sad, actually. Well, no it's not. He's heartless and… _Her thoughts drifted off without any real conviction.

"Ginny!" As she walked through into the next car doing her continued search of the train, her head snapped up and she saw a cluster of people she recognized. An odd grouping of older students sat smiling in her direction: Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Susan Bones, and a few younger students whose names she was unsure of but who she recognized as Ravenclaws.

"Thank goodness! Do you know there is nobody on the next six trains back?" she asked sinking into a seat and finally putting down the creatures and bags she had been carrying. She looked down at her arms to see the deep scratches that Crookshanks had dug into her arms and sighed.

Upon noticing Crookshanks and the owls, Neville asked, "So where are Harry, Ron and Hermione?" Ginny stared at her arms a moment longer in an unsuccessful attempt to calm her temper and come up with a decent excuse.

When she finally looked up and she noticed the odd look that Neville was giving her. "They-" and she stopped. She looked at Luna whose usually dreamy expression seemed grim. _They all look as if they know something that I don't_, she thought. "They aren't coming back this year." None of the older students looked surprised.

"I figured as much," stated Neville as he looked away out the window. "I guess it was just the three of them then?" he asked somewhat downcast. _I know how you feel, Neville_, Ginny thought. In her fourth year, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and herself had made a great team in the Department of Mysteries, and last year when the castle was under attack, the six had again all been there fighting. And yet, half of the group now sat on the train headed toward school while the other half was who-knows-where probably getting into all sorts of dangerous situations.

Luna was looking curiously at Ginny. "I thought I saw them get on the train," she said slowly.

"Yes, well, they got off just as quickly. Apparated, actually."

"Oh." There was a prolonged silence in which Ginny's anger, Neville's sadness, and Luna's… coherence, filled the air. No one else seemed to have anything to say. Susan looked interested, but she didn't really know any of them all that well though she had participated in the DA with them, so she stayed quiet. The young Ravenclaws didn't seem to be paying too much attention and just seemed grateful that there were other students nearby.

The rest of the train ride followed in similar fashion, though Luna asked about Bill and Fleur's wedding. The conversation perked up a bit here, because Ginny had truly enjoyed herself. All of her family, _except that prat Percy_, had gotten together and celebrated their life and happiness for a few short hours. They all danced and ate and were all around festive, but the night ended and the next day dawned as horrible as ever. Since then the tension had steadily mounted up until the present. The car went silent after Ginny's comment that the news the next day was filled with deaths, which put a damper on the celebratory atmosphere.

The odd silences were broken every now and then with a feeble attempt to start conversation that was usually batted away as quickly it was begun. Finally, Susan asked, "Who do you think will be there this year? I haven't seen hardly any students. I wonder how many of us there will be…"

"I'll bet there are no Slytherins," piped in Neville. "I'm sure their mummies and daddies are keeping them plenty busy."

"At least you won't have to deal with that awful Malfoy boy," added Luna.

"Actually," Ginny said glumly, "You will. He's on the train and he's as nasty as ever…" She thought back to his weird behavior in the car with Ron and Harry and wondered if she meant it. This news caused several groans and a snort of disbelief from Neville.

"After all that business last year he thinks he can just come back here like nothing happened? Not likely," Neville retorted. Ginny stared a moment at Neville wondering at this newfound animosity.

They finally arrived at the Hogsmeade Station and silently got off of the train. Ginny had to suppress a snort of exasperation and surprise when she saw just how many people got off of the train. About thirty from the looks of it.

"Firs' years over here," shouted a disgruntled looking Hagrid. _No doubt he's just as disappointed with the turnout as the rest of us_, Ginny thought. She moved quickly away from him so as not to let him ask her anything about the missing trio. She was surprised, actually, that no Order members had popped out of the shadows wondering where Harry was.

On the platform, all of the students looked around in search of people they knew and faces that were missing. A single boy stepped up to Hagrid to cross on boat to the castle. The others clamored into the carriages and made their way to school. Ginny couldn't help but notice Malfoy climbing silently into an empty carriage near the rear as she piled in with Luna, Neville, and Susan.

Ginny was one of the last to walk into the Great Hall and when she did, she let out the snort that she had held in earlier. The four long house tables were amazingly empty. There were no more than 10 students at each table and at the Slytherin table sat one student: Malfoy. Before Ginny made it to her seat, however, Professor McGonagall moved quickly toward her and ushered her out of the Hall.

"Where are they, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny sighed. She knew this would happen and that she was going to be the one to take the burden of the responsibility for "letting" them go,

"They apparated off of the train. They are going after him." She hoped that it would be good enough because her temper was slowly rising again and she felt it would be unwise to shout at the headmistress before she had even been there for a day.

"Are they completely mad?" she shouted throwing her hands into the air. "Where exactly did they go? What are they planning?" she asked grilling the young redhead.

_And here it comes… _" I don't know"

"What do you mean? Surely they told you something! Didn't you even try to stop them? Oh they'll be furious. Your mother! Oh honestly…"

Ginny had pretty much tuned her out expecting to be lectured, so she answered mechanically, "I don't know."

"What don't you know?" she snapped before pointing her back into the hall and heading toward her office at a brisk pace. _That was bizarre. Surely I won't get off that easily?_

She stepped back into the Great Hall and noticed Malfoy's eyes on her. _What is he staring at? The great furry ferret. Honestly, its not as if I wanted to sit with him on the train. _She glared at him until he looked away and she gracefully took her seat.

The professors at the head table shared significant looks between themselves and muttered, quietly shooting glances at the Gryffindor table every few moments. Hagrid was staring directly at Ginny, but she avoided his gaze. Of course, the students too were whispering. The trio was conspicuously missing and the new headmistress had left.

A few moments later, Professor McGonagall returned looking particularly flushed. A single first year trailed uneasily behind. At the front she pulled out the sorting hat and stool and beckoned the boy, Harrison O'Reilly, forward after a long song from the hat about inter-house unity and cooperation. The boy sat and was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff.

Once he was seated at his table and everyone was looking curiously at the staff table, Professor McGonagall stood behind a large podium. "I see that this year there will not be many of us. Of course, I expected our numbers to drop, but at any rate…" her voice trailed off. She cleared her throat and began again. "This is an unusual year indeed for us all. I must confess that I am disappointed that so many did not wish to join us. I am also afraid that I have been, as of yet, unable to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, so the Professors Flitwick, Slughorn and I will rotate teaching that class." _Of course no one wanted the job,_ Ginny thought_, the post is absolutely cursed. Before it was considered jinxed, but now… Things had gotten out of hand with the last one murdering the headmaster. _

After a few more announcements of little consequence that Ginny ignored fairly efficiently, the feast appeared on the tables. Never before had the response been so tame. Ginny didn't feel very hungry. The image of Ron stuffing everything he could get his hands on into his mouth reminded her that she was alone this year. Neville and Luna were nice and all, but she was never very close to them. She stared off into space and the rest of the evening seemed to trudge by. Even sleep came slowly that night. Her anger and hurt welled up so much that she couldn't focus on anything, including her body's need for rest.

Her brain kept wandering off to strange corners of her consciousness. At one moment she would be at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Harry, Ron and Hermione would disapparate with a pop. She would feel Malfoy's eyes watching her through the entire feast. She'd be in an empty train compartment. Hermione would be guilting her into doing her homework. Malfoy would be telling Ron to grown up. Harry would be breaking up with her at Dumbledore's funeral. _Stupid Malfoy, _she thought_, I've thought of him twice in the last minute. Why can't that prat keep to himself and stay out of other peoples' thoughts. Why does he have to act so weird now. Why did he have to come back here. Maybe I'll send him a bat-bogey hex. _But then she felt guilty for threatening the newly orphaned boy in her mind for the mere fact that she thought of him. _Urgh, I thought about him. It's my fault. I should hex some sense into myself. _She fell into an unsettling sleep involving Malfoy staring and the trio leaving her alone in a big empty castle. _They are bigger prats than that ferret is._


	3. Chapter 3

The morning dawned cool and quiet and far too soon for Ginny's liking. It seemed as though her mind ran a marathon through all of the events of the last year. She felt an emptiness that she attributed to the fact that her best friends and favorite brother had abandoned her not twenty-four hours earlier. _It could also have something to do with the fact that I am alone_, she thought bitterly surveying the unused beds of the sixth-year girls dormitory. She contemplated laying back down, pulling the covers over her head, and pretending that she was back at the Burrow excited about a day of fun with her friends and without the threat of Voldemort, but she realized that missing the first day of class would probably not be the best idea. 

Throughout her morning routine, Ginny kept trying to make light of the loneliness. _Look_, she thought, _no one to fight over the bathroom with, and no incessant giggling over nonsense in the background_, but there was little conviction in her musings. She was used to waking up to sounds at the Burrow; with that many people under one small roof, it was not to be avoided. She had grown accustomed to those noises. They were comforting. The silence was just eerie. Not to mention the sight of the unslept-in beds. Empty beds had been a symbol of the death that Voldemort brought in his wake. _This is his fault, too_, she thought sadly, _It's his fault I am standing here like this. _Truth be told, it was probably also his fault that she hadn't made more friends that would have made a nice buffer after the abrupt departure of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After the incident with the Chamber of Secrets her first year, it was a bit difficult to make any good friends. True, she was fairly outgoing and had her fair share of what she loosely called "boyfriends," but there was no depth to any of them.

After surveying the room one last time, she sighed and left the room and moved toward the common room. On a normal day, the common room would be bustling with noise and movement. She half expected Harry, Ron and Hermione to be sitting in their favorite chairs by the fire waiting for her to come down so that they could all go to breakfast. _No such luck_, she thought. What she did find was Neville and the Creevey brothers who stood when she entered as if they were waiting for her. Ginny smiled slightly at the kind gesture and they all made their way to the Great Hall in silence.

So much of what she had experienced of the castle this year was off. There was an eerie silence and an emptiness that she had never before encountered. The dim passageways seemed almost sinister in the absence of laughter and obnoxious shouts. The stone corridors echoed their footsteps and Ginny felt a hollow where her once fiery spirit had resided.

To say that she was surprised when she entered the Great Hall for breakfast moments later would be an understatement. She almost thought she was in the wrong place. The four long house tables had been replaced with a single, much smaller, square of tables. The students seated were all gazing toward the center at each other. It looked like the discussion circles she had been a part of in Professor Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts class her second year. She moved to the table and took a seat next to Neville.

"Good morning, Ginny. Neville," greeted Susan, who was sitting diagonally from them. She and Neville struck up a conversation that Ginny did not care to partake in- something about NEWTS. Luna Lovegood entered a few moments later and found Ginny quietly chewing and staring blankly at her toast. As Luna took the seat to her left, Ginny glanced up and attempted a smile of greeting before looking back to her toast. Before Luna could say anything, however, the headmistress stood from the head table to address them.

"Good morning, students. As you have noticed, we found the house tables to be somewhat inefficient and impractical for this small of a group. Your professors and I have also discussed how we would like to handle your classes, because as it stands, they are practically empty. Our conclusion, then, is that the houses will be combined and classes will be taught with other year students. All of the sixth and seventh year students will attend class together, the fourth and fifth together, and the first, second and third together. As you are all very bright, I am sure that the younger students will not find it difficult to keep up, especially with as intimate as the class sizes will be." She went on to explain that the elective courses such as divination, arithmancy and care of magical creatures would be taught as independent studies in one on one meetings with the professors. She moved down and handed out the course schedules, which Ginny received without any real care.

She was mildly intrigued by the fact that she would be studying on a more advanced level with the seventh years, but she could not find it in herself to feel happy. She wondered, _is this how Malfoy feels all of the time? _It was a new experience to feel so… unfeeling. Nothing seemed to affect her. She was not surprised or happy. She was neither disturbed at the reason that these changes were taking place, nor irritated at the fact that the ferret was sitting across from her staring again. In response to his prolonged attention she looked up at him willing him to say something just so she could at least get angry, but nothing. Her held her eyes a moment before looking down at his toast. _Apparently his breakfast is as interesting as mine_, she thought somewhat callously. _Aha! I still have emotions_, she thought, _I can be callous. Good for me. _

At that moment, the owls arrived. While not many came in, a particularly large group headed toward the redhead and landed neatly in front of her, except for the one who effectively alighted directly onto her toast causing her to look up quickly. No less than five owls were looking at her waiting for their messages to be removed. Narrowing her eyes, Ginny removed the letters, oblivious to the looks she was receiving from around the table.

At the top of the pile was a letter from her mother. _Oh great, just what I need today_, she thought. She read her mothers hurried, but neat script questioning her about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Did she know where they went? How could she let them leave? Did she know this was going to happen? Why didn't she tell anyone? Ginny sighed and moved to the next. She could see the compacted, untidy scrawl of Professor Lupin. In the letter she receive much of the same, except an added comment that he expected it to happen, but hoped it wouldn't. _I thought I saw something in his face when he was saying goodbye on the platform_, she thought, irritated with the inquisition she was receiving, though not surprised. Next was one from her father expressing his gratefulness that she had not unthinkingly joined the trio. _Not for lack of trying_, she thought bitterly. Then came a tidy note from her brother, Bill, asking the same questions again. _Do they honestly think I know anything?_ And the last was a messy note that seemed to have been splattered with an unknown substance. It was from her jokester brothers, Fred and George, who asked her why she didn't go along. _This is ridiculous_.

She finally looked up from her letters to see most of the room looking curiously at her. She hadn't noticed the silence because there seemed to be a lot of that lately. She glared around at them as if daring them to ask her questions. When no one did, she picked up her things and quickly left the room, headed to her first class of the day, potions.

She entered the empty dungeon classroom and took a seat near the back to wait for the others to file in. A few minutes later, the class began to fill and Luna took the seat next to her. Again she looked appraisingly at Ginny, but Ginny's resolve was so fierce to not return the attention that she soon gave up. Luna thought how unlike Ginny this new person was a vaguely wondered if their had been a body-snatcher on the loose.

The twittering of quiet, personal conversations filled the room until Professor Slughorn entered at last, closing the door behind him. From the front, he glazed at his small group of ten students while collecting his thoughts with a crooked smile on his face.

"Good morning everyone. This is most unusual, but I must admit that I am excited. I rarely have the opportunity to teach a class so small and gifted. I must say that you younger lot did very well indeed on your OWLS so I am just going to plow ahead with the NEWT work for the older students and you should keep up just fine." Ginny noticed Colin Creevey throw a worried glance at a blonde Hufflepuff boy sitting next to him, and smirked slightly. As Slughorn continued his speech, Ginny looked around at the other students in the room. She hadn't noticed Ernie McMillan the night before, but he sat with a sixth-year brunette Hufflepuff near the front. In her sweep of the room she purposely avoided the back of Malfoy's head, though it was difficult because the platinum hair directly in front of her was emitting a glare that almost hurt her eyes. She felt offended that anyone's hair could be pretentious enough to hurt her eyes. Then she noticed the small seventh-year Ravenclaw, Lisa Turpin, sitting uncomfortably beside him. _She should get here on time next class, and she won't be partnered with that git_, she thought, _and next time I will avoid a seat where he can sit in front of me. Honestly I think I might be blind by the time I make it to Charms._ This was, of course, ridiculous, but she didn't really mind. It never occurred to her as she spent most of the class ignoring the lecture that Slughorn was giving about the magical properties of plants that she was spending an awful lot of time vainly attempting to insult Malfoy in her head. That was a lot of attention for someone she couldn't stand.

After potions, her group of ten moved together up the stairs to Professor Flitwick's classroom for Charms. The silence had finally been filled again with the quiet twittering of students, but there was no real solace in this as no one was twittering to Ginny. Even Luna had joined Colin and the blonde Hufflepuff from before. Everyone else seemed to be easing up with the progression of classes. They found it familiar and comforting. Ginny just found them annoying and boring, though last year she would have been thrilled to be in any of these classes.

Charms was an easy subject for Ginny, and she quickly mastered the day's lesson before zoning out. The shuffle of chairs and feet brought her out of her reverie and she noticed that her gaze had drifted to Malfoy again. "What the bloody hell is wrong with me?" she muttered angrily. This was apparently enough to grab his attention, and he turned around. Noticing her eyes on him, he bit out, "Like what you see Weaslette? I don't blame you. All you have to look at are that disgusting scarface and your family's horrifying red hair." He thought to himself that he should have come with something much smoother and that her hair was actually rather nice, but it was apparently enough to rile Ginny up.

"Oh yes, I think your hair is fascinating. I am surprised it hasn't fallen off of your head yet. How often did you and daddy bond over the bleach? Was it a nightly routine? Who will do it for you now?" She immediately regretted the swipe at his dead father and cringed expecting a well-deserved tongue-lashing. Instead, Malfoy blanched slightly before sneering threateningly and walking away.

_I cannot believe I just said that! I am as bad as Ron._ At the thought of Ron the numbness set back in, so she went after Malfoy again._ Does he honestly think the world revolves around him? And why isn't he sobbing into his porridge about his parents. I thought he was a mummy's boy. Maybe he has no heart. No it's probably just frozen like the rest of him. Like that filthy sneer is frozen on his face._ _He just makes me so mad. _She found, however, that being mad at Malfoy wasn't so bad when it replaced the numbness she felt when she thought about anything else. By letting her temper rise with Malfoy she knew that she was still capable of emotion, albeit a negative one, and she found that comforting. Malfoy was a constant. A constant pain in the neck.


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny found herself, as usual, in a poorly lit corner of the library. _Lucky I'm not actually trying to read_, she thought. It was Friday, and her miserable first week at school had finally reached an end. By this time, the owls had stopped coming and asking about the trio, which she appreciated because each time she had to hear about them, her heart seemed to drop a little more. Neville and Luna had stopped asking her if she was okay every other moment. _Obviously I'm not_. And the professors had laid on such a challenging course of study that she found little time for her mind to stop elsewhere. Or perhaps she was working harder than entirely necessary; at this thought, however, images of Hermione swam before her and she growled in frustration. 

Her earlier unease with the lack of people had melted into an avoidance of the people who were still around. It was more trouble than it was worth to have to pretend to be the cheery little redhead they all knew. In her solitude she could be as bitter and cynical as she wanted. In fact, she spent large portions of her day making silent jabs at the people around her. Her favorite target was Malfoy, because in her silent avoidance of humankind she always managed to find him. _Probably hiding from the world too, because it hates him. Just like me. Hate him that is. Not… Oh never mind._ She almost cracked a smile. _I can't even properly insult anyone without clarifying, and surely I don't have to clarify my thoughts to myself. _If that was the case, however, Ginny seemed to be struggling with her mind, because she often found herself defending her thoughts as if they were spoken without any conviction. It never crossed her mind that perhaps they weren't.

She found that the dark corner of the library was a particularly convenient spot to lounge and impose her cynicism on herself. No one ever made it back here, and she had a clear view between the shelves of the main tables where everyone else sat. They were always smiling and laughing. It made her sick. It would seem that the professors' Great Hall table solution was very effective in bringing everyone closer together to reduce the feeling of loneliness. _That is unless you fought the companionship with every fiber of your being, _she thought grumpily.

Ginny often sat in this corner mocking them aloud since she knew she wouldn't get the worried looks out of the corner of their eyes that she did when people heard her mumbling to herself down the corridors between classes. She noticed Neville come in and take a seat near Susan who had been diligently working at something for nearly an hour.

"Hi, Susan, umm , can I- that is- may I sit here?" Ginny stumbled in a deep and convincing mockery of Neville's voice as she saw him gesture toward a seat next to her.

"Oh yes, I would love for you to disrupt my precious alone time you great prat," Ginny simpered in a high-pitched imitation of Susan while batting her eyes.

"So how have you been? I haven't seen you in the last twenty minutes and you'd think that being attached at the hip as we are, that would be a long time." Neville grinned sheepishly at Susan.

Susan gestured toward her books. "Can't you see I'm busy you great oaf? I can't snog you in the broom closet now! Besides what would Emily think? I saw you talking to her earlier. She thinks you are just peachy," Ginny mocked, drawing out the word, 'peachy,' far longer than necessary.

"What? I am not allowed to snog everyone at the breakfast table? Since when? I haven't even made it to the second years yet. I just can't be alone, and all of the good ones have gone! Like Lavender and her strange obsession with goggle-eyed Trelawney…" The thought of Neville putting the moves on every girl in school made Ginny crack an uncharacteristic smile. She was somewhat sickened by the fact that he seemed to have a lot more friends than usual. Everyone did. Except her. And Malfoy.

"Well you can't let the second years go unnoticed! They are just dying to get their hands on your manly body. Who wouldn't? I mean you like plants- rarrrrr."

"Everyone wants me. Even Malfoy. He was staring at me today. He probably realized that Ginny won't have any of his attention so he moved on to the second most attractive human in the school. Well besides Filch and Flitwick, because they are just so scrumptious no one could compare." Ginny was giving Neville a low, husky drawl in his apparent attempt to come on to Susan.

"Malfoy wants you? Speak of the Devil!" Susan glanced up surreptitiously and Neville glanced warily at Malfoy as he walked through the door into the library and disappeared to the right. "Well if he does, then I can't pass you up. He only goes for the best of the best. I mean, have you seen his wardrobe? Especially those dragonhide leather pants. I suppose we could go an have illicit relations now. How about the empty classroom on the fourth floor by the portrait of the drunken hippogriff?" Susan moved to gather her books.

Neville looked down at his books and back up to Susan's expectant face regretfully. "Well now after all of that talk about Malfoy and those dragonhide pants I think I favor him over you. Too back he hates everyone including me, and I'll never get a good snog. I'd rather sit here alone and daydream about how much I would love to run my hands through that silky blonde hair and snog him senseless." Ginny cringed a little at the thought of Neville snogging Malfoy senseless before she heard a chuckle.

Ginny's eyes immediately snapped to a pair of silvery-grey eyes belonging to a lean blonde boy leaning comfortably against a bookshelf in the shadows of her nook. She hadn't seen Malfoy come over, and yet here he was chuckling at her little game and looking at her with a little smirk on his face.

"The thought of Neville aching to snog me is a little unpleasant, but if that is the effect that a nice, tight pair of dragonhide pants would have on everyone, then perhaps I should send off for some." Ginny's eyes narrowed, but before she could throw back a scalding comment about his unfailing ego, he continued. "You seem to spend a lot of time thinking about how sexy I am though… And illicit snog sessions in broom closets for that matter." He raised an eyebrow at her.

At a loss for words, Ginny gathered he things and stormed out of her quiet, dark corner, which she felt had been rudely intruded upon. She made her way up to her room mumbling about how it was impolite to intrude upon other people's study, especially when he had been raised in such a proper upper-class household.

More than anything, however, Ginny was disturbed. In those few moments with Malfoy, Ginny had seen more life in his eyes than she had seen in a long time. He was playing with her, not mean-spiritedly, but as if they had a little joke. She shook her head. It was all too bizarre. He stares at her and now jokes with her?

"It's because I am so good-looking," she said aloud and smiled. "He can't get enough of that fiery little mute who refuses to give him the time of day because she avoids all people like the plague." At this, her smile vanished and she sighed. It was true, of course. She avoided meals because of the cozy seating arrangement. _So does Malfoy_. At the thought that they had anything in common she shivered a little.

When she reached her room and sat down on her bed, she felt the usual discomfort that came along with the silence and empty beds. She drew the curtains around herself and sat surrounded by red fabric. Red always reminded her of the war. _Maybe this is not what I need. _She lay down and closed her eyes, but the strange interaction in the library kept swimming before her eyes. Malfoy had looked almost- attractive? _Eww! What is wrong with me? This solitude has gone on long enough. There is no way that I will sink so low as to think that, whether or not I have anyone to talk to._

She ripped her curtains open and spun her legs off of the bed. _I'll write a letter, I think. _She moved toward her trunk and pulled out some parchment and a quill before sitting cross-legged near the window with her quill poised.

_Dear- _But she couldn't think of anyone to write to. Not Harry, Ron or Hermione. Not her mum or dad or her brothers. _I could write to… Luna? Yeah that would go well. Dear Luna, Sorry I am a prat. I know I spent the last week avoiding you, but it's not because you smell, just because I think that you are unworthy of my companionship. _But Ginny found that it wasn't the others who she found unworthy. It was herself, and that was what hurt. Her best friends left her. She wasn't good enough to go along. Her boyfriend broke up with her, probably because he thought she was too weak to handle anything. _Shows what he knows! I am… _And Ginny spent the next hour thinking of all of the reasons why she was better than them and that it was their own stupid fault for leaving her behind. Hearten by this, she looked back down at her parchment and began her letter without really paying any attention to who she addressed it to since she had no intention of actually sending it.

Dear Malfoy, This week has been complete torture. The classes are… 

A full roll of parchment later, Ginny felt significantly better and crawled into bed thinking of how much lighter she felt after getting all of that weight off of her chest. She thought of how she had detailed all of the stories she made up from her corner of the library about Neville's new sex-god character, Madam Pince's trysts with Flitwick, and Luna's hushed conversation with Colin about the truth that Mrs. Norris was really Filch's lover and he had to disguise her as a cat when his mother came to collect his laundry one morning, but she had dropped the basket on his foot and he had tragically lost his magical powers and she was forever trapped in the body of a cat. It wasn't until she was half asleep that she realized to whom she had addressed the letter. She flew out of her bed, grabbed her wand and quickly set fire to the letter, before settling into her first restful night's sleep all week.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few weeks went by very quickly in Hogwarts Castle. The professors had taken up the challenge to give the few students who remained the best possible education they could. There were many one-on-one teaching sessions and the information became more and more difficult. Everyone sunk into their studies, yet the atmosphere never reached the fever pitch that it always managed to at the end of the year during exams. Everyone had pulled together and used their strengths to help the others. As a group, everyone was advancing at an incredible rate. 

Outside of the classroom environment, however, some were still less than willing to participate in the newfound camaraderie. Yet Ginny's introversion became less hostile as people realized that she would rather just be alone. At least, she thought she would rather be alone if those were the people who she had to choose from. She didn't dislike any of them, but she didn't feel as if anyone really understood her as anything other than Weasley's sister or the famous Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend. She surely didn't characterize herself as either of those and didn't appreciate that anyone else did.

There was one person in the castle who felt her need for solitude, however, and that was Draco Malfoy. She had to admit that he could be pretty funny. At first she went out of her way to irritate him, because she didn't mind feeling anger at him if it meant she could forget her anger at everyone else. Every now and then, though, he would appear out of nowhere and he was always armed with a wit that never failed to make her smile- whether or not she showed it.

Since that day in the library when Ginny had seen him laugh, she managed to have more run-ins than usual with him. He would mutter something under his breath about someone across the room as he passed her or give her a knowing look as she exasperatedly explained that yes, she was fine, and no, she did not want to talk about it. He also never failed to catch her when she was slipping into her hostility again.

It was a Monday and Ginny had not had an ounce of luck all day. She had woken up too late for breakfast and arrived late to potions, which meant that Malfoy was her partner. Though technically it was not all that bad to be partnered with Malfoy in potions because he was quite good at it. They worked in silence and had a surprising rhythm- each knew what the other needed and did it before being asked. The others in the room watched with a sort of fascination at this unspoken communication that Ginny and Malfoy didn't even seem to notice.

After potions, Ginny went to Charms when she realized that she had done the wrong assignment. Not to mention she had stayed up almost all of the night before to do the wrong assignment, so she was exhausted and grumpy. She flew to lunch and ate with a zeal not unknown to her brothers so that she could take a nap before her next class, Transfiguration.

Unfortunately, that had not been told to her alarm, which failed to wake her up again. She woke up sleepily right as Herbology was beginning, after Transfiguration had begun and ended. She looked at the clock and flew into a frustrated rage.

_What the bloody hell is wrong with me today! _She flew down the stairs and out towards the greenhouses where it was pouring rain. _Just my luck_. By the time she got to Greenhouse Seven, she was soaked to the bone, and jumped quickly inside and out of the rain. She let out a strangled cry of frustration as she saw that she was alone. _They probably moved class inside to keep us out of this bloody storm_, she thought shivering. She reluctantly poked her head out of the door and decided she'd have to take it at a run if she was ever going to make it to class and not die of pneumonia.

Just as she was nearing the doors to the castle, however, her bag split and her books fell all over the pavement thoroughly soaked. At this point, Ginny had just about had it. She sunk down onto the ground, in the rain, and put her head in her hands. _I'll just stay out here. I'll just die. Honestly I didn't think that a day like this was possible. The gods must be out to get me._ She didn't notice that a figure had stepped out of the castle and into the rain. He was gathering up her books and it wasn't until she heard him mumble the spell to repair her bag that she noticed he was there.

"Malfoy?" Ginny was startled to see a handsome blonde gathering her things and as soaked as she was.

"Care to get out of the rain, or did you fancy sitting out here all day?" Malfoy asked, but without any venom in his voice. He held out his hand for Ginny to take.

She took it and looked up at him. _He looks concerned. Must think I've gone nutters. Sitting out in the rain… Maybe I have… _"Thanks," she mumbled, and she saw him crack a smile. _A smile? Does his face even do that? Now I know I've gone mental_. But she followed him into the castle.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Ginny asked.

"Shouldn't you?"

"I asked you first, but if you want to know, I fell asleep and was running late. So why weren't you there?"

"Professor Sprout asked me to make sure that you hadn't gone outside. Class was moved into the spare classroom on the second floor. I suppose you slept through Transfiguration, too then?"

Ginny sighed, "Yes. Was McGonagall furious I was gone?"

"I told her that you weren't feeling well and that you had probably gone up to the hospital wing." Ginny was caught completely off guard.

"You did what?"

"I-"

"Yes, I heard you, but you covered for me? Why would you do that?"

Malfoy started to say something rude, then changed his mind, "Because I-" but Ginny cut him off.

"I'm so sorry, why am I even questioning you about that. I am being so stupid. I've just had the worst luck today and I've probably gone and given myself the flu by running around outside. So what I meant to say was thank you."

It was now Malfoy's turn to be surprised. He couldn't remember the last time that someone had thanked him for anything. He could hardly remember the last time he had held a full conversation, for that matter. After the incident with Dumbledore and the astronomy tower, he had pretty much stopped talking, and then his parents… and before that his chats with Crabbe and Goyle hardly counted as intelligent conversation anyway.

He finally stumbled out, "You're welcome." And it was Ginny's turn to smile. He continued, "You should probably actually head up to the hospital wing now. If you weren't sick before, you probably will be now. I'll tell Professor Sprout for you." Malfoy turned to go down the hall toward the class when he heard Ginny call him.

"Draco-" _Did I just call him Draco? _"Draco, thanks again," and Ginny smiled before heading toward the hospital wing.

Draco was so surprised it was a miracle that his chin was not on the ground. She had called him by his first name. He hadn't heard that in ages. And she was friendly. And pretty, but that was beside the point. As he resumed his walk to class he mumbled under his breath, "You're welcome."

As Ginny ascended the stairs she was lost in thought. _What the hell just happened? I called him Draco. He smiled. I smiled- twice! _She had also just held her first real conversation since the trio left on the train weeks ago. _The dead shadow of his eyes was gone. He looked like he did that day in the library, when he laughed. _Little did she know, that during the exchange her eyes had also found the glint that had gone out. She didn't know that people compared her and Draco when they weren't around. 'Neither of them speaks.' 'They spend all of their time alone.' 'Their eyes look empty.'

She shuffled up the stairs in complete bewilderment. If she had to admit it, though, and she was glad that she didn't, she felt better. Not just about her miserable day, but about everything since the train that day. _It's like when I wrote him that letter… What in the name of Merlin possessed me to do that? _

In Draco, Ginny had found a kindred spirit. Not one that she wanted to admit. Not even one she really cared to talk to. She found, though, that as the weeks had passed, she didn't mind it when he had butted in on her little jokes. She didn't mind the look he gave her when she felt like punching Colin for talking to her. She didn't mind the fact that it was no longer unusual to feel his eyes watching her as she walked down the corridors. But most of all, she didn't mind what they had shared that day in potions. Sitting in silence and working together. _Or this afternoon, he came to find me. He got me out of the rain. He was nice. Friendly even._ And she didn't mind his kind of friendly as opposed to Neville's kind of friendly. Draco and Ginny had somehow come to an unwanted and unspoken agreement and neither seemed to mind.

When Ginny finally made it to the hospital wing to be tutted over by Madam Pomfrey, she sat back and relaxed and forgot everything horrible that had happened that day. The hostility that so often lay just below the surface extinguished and something new blazed somewhere inside. She felt better and she had Draco to thank. _Not Malfoy_, she decided_, Draco. _She also decided that maybe he was not so bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Madam Pomfrey deemed it acceptable for Ginny to leave the hospital wing, the storm had stopped, leaving a quiet calm over the grounds. Ginny did not feel like being inside when the weather was so perfect for contemplation, so she walked out to the lake and settled under her favorite tree. 

She sat with her mind wandering for what seemed like ages. She thought of her brother, Harry and Hermione and wondered if they were alright and if they had made any progress. She wondered about how her family was taking their abrupt departure. She wondered why no one had seen anything from Voldemort since the attack on Draco's parents. And she thought about Draco. If she thought that she was miserable, it was probably nothing compared to him. He lost his parents forever and his friends left him also. Ginny sighed and leaned further back into the tree. It was then that she noticed that she wasn't alone.

Under the next tree, Ginny saw Draco reclined with his eyes closed. _He looks so relaxed_, she thought. _I've never seen him like this. He always seems so wound up about something. _If she thought really hard, though, she would realize that she had not seen that Draco since the year before. This year he looked defeated and his body was not held with a superior air, but indifferently. She had certainly never seen him looking so… peaceful.

_Should I go talk to him? _It was strange that she was trying to convince herself of reasons to talk to him instead of avoid him. _I want to thank him again for earlier. I want to… _but her thoughts faded away and she just continued to watch him, her head leaning against the tree trunk and long, fiery hair blowing in the breeze.

_He's so handsome when he isn't being a jerk or holding his nose in the air. He has quite a nice nose. And his hair. I wonder what it feels like. _The breeze was stirring up his usually immaculate hair, giving him a pleasantly mussed look. She was so intent on watching the lazy movement of his hair that she hadn't notice that his eyes had opened, and he was gazing back at her.

At first Draco was startled to find that he was being watched. He felt vulnerable reclining out by the lake. He had been in a strange sort of mood all afternoon after his encounter with Ginny. And it was not a bad feeling. Then he realized that he did not mind her gaze. There was a day when he would have made a snide comment about her parentage, but there was no need for that anymore. He had no one, so how could he find fault in people who did. He counted her lucky. Instead he watched the small smile creeping onto her face and the softness in her eyes. She really was quite striking, and he wondered how he had never noticed it until this year. He was pulled out of his reverie as he saw her cheeks redden and he looked to see her eyes glued to his. She gave an embarrassed sort of half smile before turning back toward the lake.

_How humiliating! I wonder how long he saw me staring at him. It is not enough that he found me sitting in the storm, but now I am staring at him. It's not as if he never stares at me, though_, she thought resolutely, and she turned to look back at him as if daring him to mock her. But he had gone. She was surprised to find that she was disappointed.

"Do you mind if I share your tree? It has got a better view than mine."

Ginny looked up abruptly and saw the grey eyes that she had sought out. She smiled a little. _How many times is that? He must think I am some sort of grinning fool-_ but her thoughts were cut off as he smiled back. _He really does have a nice smile. He should do that more often._

"Sure, I don't mind." Ginny moved over a bit to give him some of the dry ground at the base of the tree. He sat down and leaned into the tree knowing that all the while her eyes were glued to him, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back into the tree trunk.

Ginny watched him out the corner of her eye for a few minutes more, before relaxing into the tree herself, feeling very much at ease.

The minutes passed in amiable silence, and they both felt a calm ease creep up on them. It was not until the sun had almost disappeared under the horizon completely that Ginny heard Draco stir beside him. She looked at him to find him looking intently at her.

Ginny smiled, stood, and held out her hand. "We should get inside before it gets dark. Plus no doubt the others will have eaten all of the food." Draco paused a moment looking at her hand before taking in and standing. He held it a moment longer than entirely necessary, suddenly overcome with an unknown emotion, and grateful that they were not slinging insults.

"For such small people, those Creevey boys sure can eat a lot. They are like garbage disposals, honestly. No idea where it all goes…" he trailed off looking at Ginny with the sunset transforming her hair into a glowing halo for her smiling face.

"Right." And Ginny and Draco walked together in silence to the Great Hall to claim what was left of the food for their dinner.

To say that the students in the Great Hall were surprised to see Draco and Ginny walk in late side by side would be an understatement. Conversations stopped and most everyone stared as the two unsocial students in their midst walked in. together- and trying hard to disguise their smiling.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout shared a knowing look before looking back at the two students who seemed unaware of the attention that they were receiving.

They sat side by side in two empty chairs at the corner of the table and began piling food onto their plates, never speaking. Gradually eyes moved away from the strange pair and conversations picked back up, but the two seemed blissfully unaware that they were not alone in the room. They did not speak to each other or look at each other, but acknowledged the presence of the other in a sort of unspoken communication as they had that morning in Potions.

Ginny ate with more enthusiasm than she had since school started. Everything had tasted so bland and she had no real desire to eat except that she needed to if she wanted to live to the end of the week. Tonight, though, things were different. The eating arrangements had always made her uneasy because everyone faced each other at meals and she had wanted to disappear. She did not mind tonight. She was very comfortable.

As she finished, she noticed that Draco had stopped eating also. When she stood, so did he, and they walked, unspeaking, out of the Great Hall. At the door, they parted, each turning toward their respective dormitories.

"Ginny!" she turned to see that Draco had stopped and turned to face her, "Goodnight." He said simply, inclining his slightly before turning away and continuing to the dungeons.

Ginny stood a moment watching him leave before smiling, shaking her head, and continuing to the Gryffindor tower.

_He called me Ginny. Not Weaslette or some other name. Ginny. _She had never been fond of her name, especially her full name- Ginevra- but somehow when he said it in his drawl it sounded positively divine.

For the second time that day, Ginny found that she didn't mind Draco's companionship, though she rejected it from anyone else. He did not come to her with questions or problems. _Or words at all, for that matter_. She had spent an afternoon reclining with him under a tree and only spoken at the beginning and end to acknowledge the other, and nothing more.

_It was a comfortable silence_, she decided. _Not lonely and not awkward. It was nice just to have someone sit there who was not trying to get anything from me that I was not getting from him. Just his presence was calming. _And this in itself was strange, because his presence had never been calming. His presence usually meant to have your wand at hand and always watch your back. Yet she had dozed under the tree with him all afternoon.

Ginny was not sure what happened that afternoon with Draco, nor over the next few days when they arrived under the tree after class each afternoon. They greeted each other then lost themselves in their individual thoughts. Each evening as the sun set, they would walk to the Great Hall, have dinner, and wish each other a good night. There was no depth of conversation or imitate talk, but there was something personal about their meetings that left them feeling full and happy and not at all cold and alone.

Draco had shared Ginny's thoughts about the deserted castle and echoing halls, but he stopped noticing the silence and empty beds. Ginny stopped feeling as if she was alone in a castle full of people. The others stopped mattering, and she felt something stirring in her as if some fire was struggling to reignite.

She had a found an unlikely friend and made an unusual friendship that was not hinged on conversation but understanding and the other's presence.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a clear, crisp early November afternoon when Draco found Ginny waiting at the tree as usual. What was unusual was the look on her face. She looked somewhere in between angry, sad, and happy, which is a strange expression to say the least. 

Though they had met at the tree for weeks now, neither had been too keen to get into lengthy discussions about their lives, and that was okay. It meant, however, that Draco had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Ginny? Are you alright?" he asked as he sat down.

"Not entirely, no." Ginny was trying very hard to stay calm. _No need to go and lose yourself now over something so stupid!_ she thought rationally.

"What is it? Is there anything I can do?" Draco had never been much with the comforting, but he was concerned. She had gotten an owl that morning at breakfast and had been in a mood all day.

She looked over at him, and the look in his eyes made her fall a little. _He really cares. Well maybe it won't hurt to just show him the letter._ Ginny sighed and reached into her bag. She handed the letter to Draco without looking at him. She knew if she did, she would lose the composure that she was trying desperately to hold on to.

Draco took the letter curiously and read: 'Dear Gin, I saw a girl who looked just like you on the street the other day and it made me think of you. I hope you are okay. Love, Ron.' He continued to the next section of the letter. 'Dearest Ginny, I know it has been ages, but we can't very well send off owls every day. I miss you, but I am glad that you aren't here with us. It is getting more and more dangerous everyday, I fear. I think about you lots and hope you are thinking of me. Harry.' Draco became angry quickly, but did not let this emotion out. He wasn't sure what it was- jealousy? And finally, 'Dear Ginny, How are you? I hope Crookshanks hasn't been too much of a bother. I've heard that there aren't many students at Hogwarts this year. I bet you are learning loads. I am jealous that you are getting such individual attention, but this is important too. Anyway, learn lots for me. Missing you, Hermione.' Draco turned it over looking for what had upset her. There was nothing else.

The letter seemed alright to him. No tragic news, no rude remarks. Not much of anything really. Except Potter missing Ginny. Draco wondered if that was why Ginny was so upset. He knew that they had dated.

"Do you miss him?" Draco asked trying to be tactful, but wanting to spit the words out as if they were venom.

"Who Harry?" Ginny looked at him incredulously. "Of course not. Well, I suppose I miss them all, but certainly not him in _that_ way." She said it as if she was disgusted by the thought of it, and Draco was cheered though he knew not why.

"What is it then?"

Ginny sighed again and looked at his questioning expression. _He is cute when he is curious. Too bad he isn't curious all that often. Probably thinks he already knows everything worth knowing. _She smiled a little and began.

"There is absolutely nothing in that letter. Two months have passed and not a word. Then I get this?" She snatched the letter from him and shook it frustratedly. "Nothing but: how are you? I miss you. We used to be close. Well I suppose not really all that close. It was always the three of them, then me. But I was used to that when we were together as a group. One on one, we were great. Ron was always my closest brother. We spent almost all of our time together before he started Hogwarts. And now he doesn't think of me until he sees a girl that looks like me?" Ginny let out a grunt.

"And Hermione. She was always my closest girl friend. She's not into hair and clothes and all, which I appreciate. We got on really well, especially after the summer before fifth year. And yet, she cares more about the classes than me. No encouraging words after my three best friends ditched me out of the blue one-day." Ginny paused and looked out toward the lake before continuing. Draco wondered if he should say something, but she began again before he had the chance.

"And then there is Harry. When I was younger, I fancied myself in love with him. Well, of course you know that, you read my valentine to the school." She looked pointedly at him as if daring him to mock her.

"Sorry about that. It was stupid of me." Draco looked down at his hands.

Ginny was surprised, but continued. "Then wouldn't you know, we started dating last year and everything was great. I was fully accepted into their little trio, and I thought everything was going to be fine." She trailed off a little, and Draco was irritated by the far off look in her face. It seemed she was fondly remembering Saint Potter.

"Then, everything happened with Dumbledore," she snuck a look at Draco, but he had looked away, "and he broke up with me at the funeral." Draco looked quickly back at her, his face surprised.

"Why?"

"He said that I would be in danger. That Voldemort would target me if they knew we were close. I think it is rubbish. They can target Ron and Hermione, but that isn't stopping him from letting them go. He didn't want me there, and I can handle that. No one really thinks I can handle myself. They all think I am still just a child," she said bitterly.

"I don't," Draco said off-handedly. Noticing the look on Ginny's face, he continued, "I've had to deal with some of your hexes. Right nasty, if you ask me. If they had ever had to deal with one of your bat bogey hexes, they would know you do just fine on your own." Ginny smiled and shook her head.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize, I deserved it. Always stirring up trouble…" he faded away looking wistfully at Ginny's small, sad smile.

"Anyway, ever since that business with the Chamber of Secrets no one has trusted me to take care of myself, and being the youngest of seven and only girl, that is a problem." At the mention of the Chamber, Draco blanched slightly. Ginny noticed, and said, "It's fine. I'm fine."

"This is really the first time you've heard from them after that day on the train?" Draco had figured that something happened that day. He had walked into a train car full of tension, but the trio was there. Then they never showed up at Hogwarts and Ginny stopped talking. He had felt a bond with her since he saw her stumble into his compartment looking so lost. And then her biting comment had reminded him how spirited she was, and he admired her all the more.

"Yes." Ginny looked away onto the lake. She was feeling hurt and frustrated, but she felt immensely better after getting it out to someone.

There was a cold breeze blowing over the lake, and Ginny pulled her thin cloak tighter around her shoulders. Draco noticed, took off his cloak, and wrapped it over her shoulders.

"Won't you be cold?" she asked. He shook his head. "Thank you."

As Draco gazed as the small redheaded girl huddled under his cloak, he suddenly felt the need to talk. He wanted to tell her things. And he never wanted to tell anyone anything, so that in itself was surprising.

"You know about what happened, don't you? In the astronomy tower?"

Ginny was caught completely off-guard. She stared at him wide-eyed a moment before nodding slightly. "Harry was up there. He told me what you did. Or rather, what you didn't do." It was difficult to discuss this with him. Even if he had not been responsible to Dumbledore's death, he had let those people, those monsters, into the school. Bill was irreversibly changed.

He must have seen the look of pain flash across her face. "I heard about your brother." He looked down at his hands. "I am really sorry. I know that will never be enough, but I am." Draco sighed.

Ginny studied his face a moment, then said, "You know I don't really blame you. You had no choice. It was your family on the line. You did what you had to do, and you did not attack my brother. Greyback did." She hadn't known what she was going to say. She didn't even know she thought that until she said it.

He turned to her, and Ginny had never seen anyone's eyes so full of emotion. Certainly not him. The usual dull grey of his eyes was a shimmering silver. _He has beautiful eyes_, she thought and smiled at him and the disbelief she saw swimming in his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered before turning away.

Silence passed. Minutes passed. Finally, Ginny heard him say quietly, "He said that he would protect her. He said he would protect my mother." Ginny saw his back shudder, then still.

_How do you respond to that?_ More silence. Then, "But it was too late. He was gone and I had disobeyed my orders. That thing took her from me. Even took my father." He took a few deep breaths.

"After that, Professor McGonagall told me that I could come back here. I had no place to go. My godfather did what I could not and would not, and for that, I could not stay with him. I was disowned by all of my friends. Not that I had many left after last year, mind you. I was a mess and no one wanted anything to do with me. I had no one. I have no one," he finished dejectedly.

Ginny gave a small chuckle and he looked at her astonished. He wondered how she could laugh at him after all that he just said.

"That is where you are wrong," she said still smiling, "You have me. I am your friend."

Draco just stared at her. He did not know what to say or think. He didn't know what to do. He shivered a little.

"Let's get you inside. It's cold and you insist upon giving me your cloak." She reached her hand out to him, and he grabbed it to stand up. When he was standing, she moved in and gave him a hug. When they broke away, he looked so dumbfounded and astonished that she laughed out loud.

"Oh honestly, I'm not all that bad," and with that, Ginny started to walk toward the castle with him trailing behind.

He stared at her back as she walked wondering what on earth had just happened.


	8. Chapter 8

Since the day Ginny received her owl from the trio and she and Draco sat at the tree and talked, they had become really good friends. They did not often talk about their lives before the present school year, but as that was in the past, it didn't really matter to either of them. They spent their meals together and became slowly more inseparable. They both found it easier to get through the day with the other nearby. 

It was finally the first weekend of December, and Ginny had woken to the grounds covered in the first snow of the season. She ate breakfast quickly and impatiently waited for Draco to finish so that they could go out and play in the snow.

The two spent a good deal of time pleasantly mocking the students around them as Ginny had that day in the library. Draco confided in her that when she left, he broke down, and he hadn't laughed that hard in months. It had become a sort of game to them, and was much more entertaining since they had two voices- especially when it was a conversation between girls.

As Draco and Ginny sat beneath their tree near the frozen lake, a group of second year girls walked out of the castle, and Draco grinned mischievously at Ginny.

In a high pitched, supposedly-feminine voice, Draco cooed, "So girls, what are we going to do on this fine, fine morning? It is almost as fine as that lovely Draco boy that I saw in the Great Hall this morning." He usually took it as his mission to praise himself at every chance he had.

"Oh, I don't know about him being fine, but this morning is. I think that we should get some boys together and have a snowball fight!" Ginny gave the tallest girl a stupid sort of voice.

Draco saw the smallest girl back away some, "Oh, I don't think so. Boys are… gross? I think that we could have an all-girls snowball fight. And roll around in the snow together- ouch!" Draco rubbed his arm grinning where Ginny had punched him. She was giving him a look that clearly said, "Watch yourself, Malfoy!"

In the distance, one of the girls threw a snowball at her friend and missed her by several feet. Ginny simpered, "Oh Suzie! You almost hit me! That is just not fair, why do you hate me? I thought we were friends!" and Ginny dissolved into loud, obnoxious fake sobs.

In a sassy girl's voice Draco added, "Well it's a good thing she couldn't hit a sleeping hippogriff or you'd be in trouble. Maybe next time she'll learn what the Gryffindor Quidditch team had to- aim away from what you want to hit and you might actually get something!"

Ginny sat up and glared and said, "Oh I don't know! Those beater fools, Crabbe and Goyle, on the Slytherin team were so awful I think they hit each other more than anything else."

Draco scowled. "Probably did. They were morons," and Ginny laughed. In the distance a girl got hit square in the face with a snowball.

"OUCH!" Ginny screeched so loudly and high-pitched that Draco jumped before cracking up. "You fools!" she continued, "You don't hit me! I hit you! The boys are coming out soon and I'll be drenched. I was supposed to look glorious and you were all supposed to be dripping idiots. Now you've gone and messed up my careful applied makeup and hair." The girl stormed toward the castle just as the boys were coming out.

Now Draco shrieked, "Oh no! I am hideous, you must hate me! I'll go and you will never have to see me again. Go fall in love with that Ginny girl, she is so much better looking than I am," Ginny nodded her thanks to Draco as she laughed, his shriek still ringing in her ears.

The group of boys that had come out to the castle seemed to have another idea, though, because the group got together and started rolling large snowballs for a snowman.

Ginny finally stopped laughing and sighed, trying to catch her breath. _ Hearing Draco imitate a girl was good enough, but that shriek was amazing! He would have made an excellent woman._ At this she started laughing again and he looked at her as if she had gone mental.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked in a high voice putting his hand to his chin and raising an eyebrow as if he was a mediwitch critiquing her mental health. At this, Ginny laughed harder.

"Hey, don't laugh at me!" he said while gathering a large clump of snow, which he deposited onto her head and rubbed in a little.

"Hey! That's cold!" she stopped laughing and tried to shake the snow out of her long, red hair.

"Cold? Snow?" he asked mockingly and laughing at her failed attempt to get the snow out. She narrowed her eyes and made to grab some snow. Seeing this attempt, he masterfully steered the conversation elsewhere.

"I've never built a snowman before," he said wistfully looking toward the half-built snowman in the distance. His diversion worked and she stopped and looked at him astounded.

"What? Are you serious? Well, come on then, let's build one. You can't avoid it forever."

Draco shrugged, "Okay."

They set about making three large snowballs of decreasing size and stacked them. Ginny explained, "So now we have the base of our snowman and get to decorate it." Draco gave her a look that said, "What am I stupid now?" _He is so cute when he pretends to be mad_, she thought.

"Yes, Goyle, this is a snowman," she repeated slowly and he elbowed her in the side. She smiled innocently at him and conjured up a carrot for the nose and handed it to him.

Draco took the carrot and carefully placed it onto the face, stepping back to assess his work, then adjusting it slightly. _He is such a perfectionist, can't even place a carrot on a fat lump of snow without making sure it is just right. _

"Your turn to pick something to put on," Ginny said to him. He screwed up his face in thought and moved toward the base of the tree. _He's so cute when he is concentrating._ These thoughts had come more and more frequently lately, and now that he was her friend, Ginny decided she did not have to stop herself when they came up.

Finally Draco returned with a couple of branches. One stuck straight out and the other was bent. He placed on the snowman so that it looked like it had its hand on his hip. She looked at him curiously and he explained, "It had to have some Weasley sass."

Ginny was affronted and thought about what she should give the snowman. She gathered some twigs and fashioned a mouth for the snowman. She looked triumphantly at Draco and said, "It had to have the Malfoy smirk." He looked and indeed the half-complete snowman was smirking at him. He stifled a laugh and stepped forward.

With a wave of his wand, he conjured up a mass of wild, flowing red hair for the snowman, and looked at her as if daring her to best him.

Ginny looked at him calculatingly then nodded and stepped toward the snowman. She conjured him two glittering grey eyes that were piercingly beautiful. _Just like his, _she thought, satisfied.

Draco made a noise under his breath and stared at the snowman, unsure of what else he was supposed to put on it. Finally, he took off his cloak and wrapped it around the snowman's shoulders, the Slytherin crest proudly displayed.

Ginny immediately fumbled with her tie, finally got it off, and placed her red and gold Gryffindor tie around the snowman's neck, which contrasted nicely with the emerald Slytherin cloak.

Draco smiled at her and she just grinned back cheekily before sitting down in the snow to admire their work.

Draco sat beside her before he said, "It's not done yet, you know." With a wave of his wand, Draco set a charm on the snowman who immediately said, "Draco Malfoy is the sexiest man on earth."

Ginny snorted loudly and dissolved into laughter shaking her head. She waved her wand and the snowman added, "But Ginny Weasley is like heaven- goddess divine- and can beat him in a duel any day."

"Is that so?" he asked.

"It is, "she replied simply before grinning back at the snowman.

With another flourish of Draco's wand, the snowman said, "I think that Draco would probably let you win. You're too pretty to upset- goddess divine and all."

She looked at him through narrowed eyes and waved her wand at the snowman without looking, who said, "But that is only because he knew that he had been bested by a girl. A Gryffindor girl. A Weasley, Gryffindor girl." Draco looked at the snowman who winked at him.

"What the hell was that?" he asked looking at Ginny. "That snowman mocked me, then winked at me!"

Ginny shook her head and said, "If you were truly the sexiest man on earth, you would be used to inanimate objects hitting on you."

Draco shrugged, "I guess you're right. I'm probably only second sexiest after all. That snowman has some mad flirting skills. And look at that amazing outfit he has on," he gestured toward the snowman and lay down in the snow with a playful smile on his face. _When he looks at me like that, there is definitely no one sexier on this earth, _Ginny decided before lying down as well and placing her head on his stomach.

"Your stomach makes funny noises," she said after a few minutes.

"Sorry about that," he replied absentmindedly while twirling a bit of her hair between his fingers.

The two were so relaxed and at ease lying beneath their snowman that kept hitting on Draco and complimenting Ginny's excellence in dueling that they did not notice when a camera snapped in their direction. Colin smiled at what he was sure would be the best, and most controversial, picture he had taken in a long time. He mused that it was too bad Ron wasn't around because he would have liked to see his reaction.

As the cold and damp started seeping through their robes, Draco and Ginny finally sat up and decided to head back into the castle, looking back over their shoulders at their strange creation under their tree.


	9. Chapter 9

After that first snow, the next three weeks saw the castle in a flurry of excitement. The Christmas holiday was drawing nearer and the students were studying for exams. Hogwarts seemed bursting with the tension of stress and excitement. 

Ginny, however, was not looking forward to her Christmas holiday. She sat at a table in the library staring blankly at her potions notes in an attempt to study. She had grown accustomed to her new routine at Hogwarts. _I've also grown accustomed to Draco, for that matter._ She sighed and wondered that he would be doing for the holiday since she was sure he had nowhere to go. _I suppose he'll be staying at the castle. I wish I could._

Ginny, of course, missed her family, but was not too thrilled about seeing them because she knew that it would dredge up all sorts of things she didn't want to talk about. And she would be spending it away from Ron, and that thought made her sad. _I miss the ruddy prat_, she thought miserably.

She felt someone sit beside her and without looking up, said, "Hello, Draco."

"Why so glum?" he asked leaning to see her face, which was hidden by her hair as she leaned forward.

"Christmas."

"Christmas," he repeated and she saw a frown flit across his face. "You are going home, I suppose?"

"Yeah. I can't very well tell them I don't want to. Mum would have kittens. She's been really anxious about me being here all alone." Ginny rolled her eyes and looked down at her papers. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"I'll be here. Probably the only one in the castle." Ginny looked up sympathetically.

"Trust me, if I could, I would stay. I miss them, but I know what will happen… My Mum will spend half the holiday crying that Ron, Harry and Hermione are gone, and I won't be able to think of anything else."

"Should be fun," he said with a slight smile.

She grinned at him, "Oh yes. Lots of fun. So much so that I may not come back. I'll stay at home to cry with my mum. I hope you won't miss me too much." Draco's smile fell some and Ginny grinned. _He would miss me._

"Yes, well, if that's the case, I hope you go home and get showered with attention and kisses and don't remember those prats once. Oh and lots of gifts, because we know that would sicken you and you'd have to come straight back here and complain about how awful it was."

"Mmm, no I think I like the first option better. Much less dreadful…" she elbowed him slightly and pulled her notes to her. "So, shall we?" she asked motioning to the potions books.

"Oh yes, you sure know how to get me excited! Potions, yummy."

Ginny laughed. "I know you don't need the revision, but you promised." She looked at him seriously.

"And a Malfoy always keeps his promise no matter how much he feels he was forced into giving it. I think I may have been imperiused into this one," he muttered playfully and she elbowed him again. "Fine, fine let the master teach you, young grasshopper."

For the rest of the afternoon Ginny's head was so full of potion ingredients, their effects, and formulas that she forgot their discussion about Christmas. And that was okay, because she actually preferred their little study sessions to anything she was expecting to happen over the holidays. She was actually quite proud too, because over the course of the semester she found that she was quite better at Charms than Draco so she got to play teacher during their charms revision and he hated it. _He just doesn't like to admit that he isn't the best at everything. _

The shells that each of them had been stuck under for the beginning of the year had finally broken. It was not unusual to see the two of them laughing at some hidden joke or passing meaningful glances across the room at each other before smiling and looking away. No one had gotten any sort of romantic vibes from the two, though. They were always together and smiley, but there was no covert hand holding or stolen kisses. Neville swore that he saw Ginny watching longingly as Draco walked out of the Great Hall once, but the look was gone as soon as it had come. Susan noticed that when they were studying, Draco would absentmindedly take a piece of Ginny's hair and twirl it in his fingers, but while she thought that it could have romantic connotations, he hadn't even noticed that he was doing it. When the two were together, they hardly seemed to notice anything going on around them.

Finally, the exams ended and it was the night before Ginny was set to depart back to the Burrow. She and Draco had spent a few hours in her dark corner of the library talking before Madam Pince ushered them out muttering angrily about not turning the library into a social hangout. It was too late to go outside, so they decided to climb the Astronomy tower and watch the stars until they were too tired to stand. Mostly this was Draco's doing because he wanted to see as much of her as he could before she left. The castle would be very lonely by himself.

When they reached the top, Draco conjured up some cushions and blankets and they huddled under them looking out into the sky that was littered with stars and constellations.

"What is Christmas like with your family?" Draco asked suddenly, not taking his eyes off of the sky.

Ginny looked at him, then back to the stars before replying. "Well, all my brothers come home so the house is so loud and full of movement that you can't think straight." She heard Draco make a noise, and continued, "But I don't usually mind it. It is comforting to know that there is so much going on around you and you aren't alone. That's partially why I freaked out when I got here. My house is usually so busy. But Christmas… that's a whole different story. Fred and George get all excited by the holiday spirit and test out their products more than usual, and there are generally some really amusing consequences. Actually, my mum gets so worked up about it that the punishments are usually pretty wild. It's fun to watch. And food. There is so much food every moment of every day that I always wonder if I'll ever be able to stand again with all the food that I carry around in my stomach. Christmas morning is fun, because no matter how old my brothers get, they act like they are five again. My oldest brother, Bill- the one who just got married, has this long red hair that he wears in a ponytail and an earring. Imagine that bouncing on your bed at the crack of dawn begging you to come down so that he can open his presents," she laughed at the memory and Draco looked over at her watching her eyes dancing.

"Sounds like you like Christmas then."

"Well yes, but there will be this thing hanging over us this year. I'll be constantly under the shadow of Ron, Harry and Hermione's departure. I'll have to answer questions. I'll have to talk to people," she have an exaggerated shiver as if disgusted.

"Ooh, yes, talking to people. Always scary. So what do you consider me, by the way? I don't see you cringe every time you open your mouth to speak to me," he raised his eyebrow playfully.

She looked at him thoughtfully before putting on a very exaggerated serious face. "No, of course you aren't a person. You are more like a… puppy." Draco coughed and looked at her incredulously and she fought not to laugh. "Yes a big, fluffy white puppy who keeps me company when I get down."

"Well, I am glad that I can keep you company, but can't I be something more… manly? I mean a puppy, honestly. Malfoy's aren't puppies! We are like polar bears-"

"Ah yes, the Malfoy icy charm. That would make sense," he glared at her.

"I am not icy."

She grinned and said, "Not anymore. You were. But I melted you." She said it very simply that it took Draco a moment to digest it.

He agreed, "Touché," and she smiled even broader. _He agreed! _And she was not entirely sure why his agreement heartened her, but she was sure that it had something to do with the fact that she had been the one to pull out the new, happy, playful Draco from the cold, closed Malfoy she once knew.

"I melted the Slytherin Ice King! Does that mean that you agree to be my puppy, then?"

Draco grumbled something under his breath and all she caught was "puppy… manly… icy… fair." Ginny noticed the way the moonlight reflected off of his hair and stared openly at him.

After a few minutes under her shameless gaze, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Like what you see?" Ginny blushed and looked away. _What on earth am I blushing about! _Draco noticed the blush too and smiled to himself, filing away that bit of information to think about when he was alone for the next two weeks.

"So what about you? What are your Christmases like?" She regretted the question immediately, because she saw his face darken and his smile fade. "That bad?" she asked gently.

Draco nodded once and said, "Mostly a lot of me alone while my parents continued ignoring that I was there. Every now and then there was a big party, and I was expected to show myself off as the perfect heir. That's about it. Won't be much different from here, I suppose. Alone and all."

Ginny frowned and watched his expression. _As much as he likes to pretend that his parents' death doesn't bother him, it's obvious it does. And I don't blame him. Here I am complaining about going home because I'll have to talk to my family when he doesn't even have the opportunity if he wanted to._

Ginny scooted closer to Draco and he looked up at her. Her eyes were glowing with some sort of emotion that he couldn't quite peg. She draped her arm across his back and laid her head on his shoulder. He was caught off guard, but didn't mind her closeness. She seemed to make his sadness dissolve and had done so with a glance ever since the day he saw her on the train.

"Well, you won't technically be alone this year, because you'll spend half of your time with Hedwig receiving all the letters from me."

Draco grinned and replied placing his head on hers, "Telling me how great your holiday has been and how much time you've spent crying with your mother?"

"Of course," she replied sleepily. _This is nice. He's so nice. He's so warm. He's so-_ and Ginny trailed off in her half coherent thoughts about Draco.

After a few moments, Draco was sure that she had fallen asleep and gazed down at her tenderly. A foreign emotion was stirring in his chest. He could not describe it and decided that he didn't much care. He started to doze twirling a bit of her hair between his fingers, knowing that one of them would wake up in an hour with a horrible crick in the neck and they would head back down to their dormitories, but for now he relished her closeness and tried to memorize it all so that he had something to think about while he spent Christmas alone in the deserted castle. He had never had a friend like Ginny before and was grateful that she was there to help him deal with his losses.

The next morning, Ginny trudged sleepily down the stairs and deposited her trunk outside the door to the Great Hall before going in to have breakfast. As she walked in, Draco's eyes shot to hers and they stared at each other before she sat down and smiled weakly at him. He tried to return it, but his smile ended up looking more like a grimace.

Ginny noticed that his plate was full, but food untouched, as she loaded some food onto hers. She ate half-heartedly and saw that he kept surreptitiously glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. They ate in silence, both a little sad that they were about to lose their friend for two weeks.

After she ate and he pretended to, Draco walked Ginny out front to the carriages before everyone else made their way outside. _He looks so sad_, she thought to herself. _He probably feels like I do, then_. Draco picked up her trunk and loaded it into the carriage for her and she nodded her thanks, unwilling to try to speak because she knew she would say something stupid.

"Well, have a good holiday, then," Draco said in a false cheery voice.

"You too," Ginny replied and hugged him. Draco lingered a moment longer than necessary, and when Ginny pulled away she saw a pink tint to his cheeks. _Did I just witness Draco Malfoy blushing? _She stepped into the carriage to wait for the others and he waved at her before saying, "I'll miss you," taking a deep breath and walking quickly inside. _I'll miss you, too, _she thought.

After about ten minutes, Ginny looked up to find Colin and Dennis entering her carriage. The three students sat in silence during the carriage ride to Hogsmeade Station, and as they descended from the carriage, Colin handed Ginny an envelope and said, "Merry Christmas."

Ginny pocketed the envelope without looking at it and got onto the train where she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come so that she wouldn't be forced to sit in silence with her own thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

Draco sat alone in the Slytherin common room staring into the fire. Ginny had left only that morning, but he felt like he had been alone for ages. He had grown used to the feeling he got in his chest when she was near; the hollow feeling that used to be so common to him just hurt. 

He looked over at a clock on the wall, which read that it was nearly nine in the evening. Ginny had probably been home for a few hours by now. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Just then, something fluttered out of the fireplace. It was a letter. Since the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons, therefore did not have any windows, owl post that did not make it for breakfast arrived through the fireplace.

Draco sat up immediately and eagerly grabbed the letter. In a matter of moments he had it open and read:

_Dear Draco,_

_You must think me foolish writing so soon. It seems weird not to have you around to talk to, though. The train ride was miserable. Perhaps worse than the one at start of term, if you can believe that. When I arrived, half of my family was standing on the platform waiting for me. Honestly, you'd think that I was a celebrity the way they treated me! That or they were trying to kill me- I had so many smothering hugs it's a wonder I am still breathing… _

_I rather envy you at Hogwarts, I must admit. They won't let me out of their sight- It's as if they expect me to run away like that ruddy boy I call a brother. I only just managed to escape by telling them that I needed to sleep after the journey. My mother just about had a nervous breakdown. It's a wonder she didn't follow me up here and crawl into bed with me. She means well, but it's a bit annoying, really._

_Anyway, I hope you have a nice, relaxing night and look forward to lots of owls from me. I expect you'll be so tired of me by the time this break is over that you'll just wring my neck when I get back. Sorry about that. _

_Your friend, Ginny_

Draco smiled. She hadn't even been gone for a day and she already sent an owl. He assumed that meant that she missed him as much as he did her, and he cheered a bit at the thought. He spent the next hour writing a long letter about how thrilling it was to do absolutely nothing and that if her mother did smother her to death that he would be very angry indeed. Any actions that resulted in her death should be refrained from at all costs.

The next evening he received another letter at about the same time. He had spent half of the day glancing every few moments into the fireplace. At one point he could hardly read the words in his book because he was still seeing spots from looking into the fire.

_Dear Draco,_

_My brother Bill and his wife arrived today. Let's just say that my brother has got the worst possible taste in women that the world has ever seen. Do you remember Fleur Delacour? Well, she is now Fleur Weasley, and she is a positive menace to society. That may be a bit harsh, but she is certainly a menace to me. As if I wasn't already having a little too much "people time." She is so needy! And Mum can only put up with her because of how she reacted when Bill was injured, so more often than not she gets shoved off to me. If you are feeling lonely I would be glad to throw her your way. And I mean throw literally. I think I'd like to toss her off the astronomy tower if I had the chance, though I doubt Bill would appreciate it._

_Other than that nothing is really happening. I caught Mum crying this afternoon. Am I good or what? I always know how she will react to these situations. It was the same way with Percy. Someone would say how disgustingly filthy it was that they stepped on a dung beetle, and she would go into a right fit because Percy was about as ugly as a dung beetle. No, that's not fair to the beetle… but you get the idea. _

_I hope you are well. I miss you already._

_Your friend, Ginny_

Draco smiled broadly. Though the letter didn't really say anything that he really understood, he knew that she cared enough to write a letter. She had mentioned Fleur a couple of times, though she usually called her Phlegm, and he knew some of the situation regarding Percy the prat. He immediately sat down with a quill and piece of parchment on which he proceeded to detail all of the ways that he suggested to get rid of Fleur without raising suspicion.

_Dear Draco, _

_You should know that I received your owl over breakfast this morning and laughed so hard that I shot pumpkin juice all over Fleur's new dress. I daresay she did not appreciate it, but it just made me laugh even harder. My Mum wanted to know what the letter said, though, so I had to run away as quickly as possible and got a lot of strange looks for the rest of the afternoon. They reckon I've gone mental._

_Fred and George spent the afternoon trying to convince me to try out one of their new products, but as they would not tell me what it was supposed to do, I opted for the safe route and declined. I would hate to spend the rest of the holiday breathing fire out my nose or something equally dreadful._

_Other than that, everything is fine. And boring. _

_Wishing you were here, Ginny_

Ginny's letters arrived at the same time everyday, so Draco was always sitting in his chair waiting. He suspected that she wrote every night as she went up to bed and received his owl early in the morning, though he spent so long on last night's letter that it must have arrived later than usual.

Her letters for the first week were all fairly innocuous, but on Christmas Eve morning as he was sitting down to play himself in wizard's chess, a letter came through the fireplace. Since her letters never came so early, he was startled and worried. He immediately saw what had caused this letter to be scribbled out so quickly and frantically.

_Dear Draco,_

_They are back. When I went down to breakfast they were there with my mum sobbing and checking them over for signs of injury, though all I could see was that they looked exhausted._

_I should be happy that they are back and safe. I should be happy that I get to see Ron for Christmas. I should be happy that my friends have come home. But I am not. Well, sure I am glad that they are safe, but I thought that it would've been… I don't know, more exciting. Well, it wasn't. I think they thought that I had turned dumb or something. I just stared at them as they greeted me. Harry smiled at me, and I thought I was going to be sick. I ran straight back up to my room without a word. I expect someone will be up here to talk to me in a minute or two, but I had to get this to you! Oh, I wish you were here so badly. Or that I was there. I think I would prefer that. I can't do this! _

_I hear someone coming- I'll write again as soon as I can._

_Love, Ginny_

If Draco was surprised by the content of the letter, it was nothing compared to her closing statement. Love, Ginny. He stared at it wondering if she meant it or if she was in such a hurry that she hadn't even looked at what she wrote. Then it sunk in why she was in such a hurry. They had come back!

Draco wasn't sure what to think of that. He was angry at them for leaving her- not that he needed an excuse to be angry with them. Though he had befriended Ginny, that amiability did not extend to the trio. Even more than that, though, he wondered if they were staying or just stopping by to spend Christmas with the family. His stomach clenched at the thought of them leaving her again. He was inexplicably angry and determined that it must be because of the thought of how it would hurt her. It was foreign for him to get so worked up about the emotions of another, but Ginny was not just anybody. She was his friend, his best friend, his only friend. And she was really upset.

He steadied his breath before sitting down at the table to write a response. He wrote that he understood her surprise and even her reaction. He said that surely they would forgive her silence, because they had startled her. He wrote that in fact, they could not blame her for her silence when they left her almost four months with one lousy letter. He suggested that she confirm her mother's worst fears, run away, and they could spend their holiday on the beach in Greece.

That evening, he received his response at the usual time.

_Dear Draco,_

_I am so sorry for that awful letter this morning. Your offer is tempting, but unfortunately it cannot work. Though if I could get out of here, mark my words, I'd be there in an instant. The beach in Greece! It's awful to tease me, you know._

_To more pressing, and depressing, news. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are indeed staying for Christmas, though they are leaving again the day after. Turns out that when they arrived they said that they would not step foot in the house until they had my mother's word that she would let them go again afterwards without a fight. So they are leaving again. I shouldn't be upset, because what else could I have expected? Did any part of me honestly think that they would come back and say that they were wrong to leave me and that if I ask them to stay they will? That or beg me to join them, because I am now a master at potions (I had a very good tutor, you know). Then I ask, would I even want either of those to happen. I expect not, but then why does it hurt that I know they will leave again? It is all so confusing._

_One thing, however, is not confusing. I am utterly miserable without you. My family is so ridiculous that there would be endless opportunities for your snarky comments. I made one under my breath tonight at dinner because Harry was being unusually thickheaded. I think Ron heard me- he gave me a very strange face. I think he thinks that I am in love with Harry or something. How wrong he is. _

_I know that this is probably all very boring to you, and I apologize. It seems awful of me to complain that the people who were supposed to be my friends came to visit me and my family when you are locked up in those dungeons. I mean it when I say that I would rather be there. You are ten times the friend that any of them are. You would never leave me unless it was for something very important- a photo shoot for your article as sexiest man alive, for example. All they can say is that they are working against Voldemort. Lame excuse if you ask me… I know that you will have some wonderful comment to that, so I am counting the minutes until I get your owl. _

_Expect something from me in the morning. I will claim the honor of being the first to wish you a Merry Christmas, so Merry Christmas!_

_Your friend, Ginny_

Draco found that her reversion back to "your friend" was slightly depressing. He was feeling good, though, that she did not have an undeniable urge to runaway with the trio. And she did not love Harry Potter, though it was strange that she should feel the need to clarify that. He reread the portion where she said that he was ten times the friend that any of them could be and felt incredibly elated. He spent a good fifteen minutes staring at that sentence with a goofy grin on his face- and Malfoys do not make goofy grins, so it was a strange sight indeed.

When he finally came to his senses, Draco reached for Ginny's Christmas gift and set it beside his empty parchment on the desk. He gazed appreciatively at the small box before beginning her letter. He thanked her for saying what a good friend he was because he was sure that he was absolute rubbish and that the only reason that she pretended to be his friend was that he was so attractive. He also admitted that he may leave her if the opportunity arose for the sexiest man alive photo shoot, though it was more likely that he would bring her along because all sexy men need an entourage. Finally, he wished her a Merry Christmas, and said that he regretted that she had to spend her Christmas with a load of prats because it is much more exciting to spend it in a dungeon where the only company was the Bloody Baron.

He was of course, giving her a hard time, but he did wish he could see her. She had upheld her portion of the agreement, however, and written him often, though he could not spend his time with Potter's owl because she did not go down to the dungeons. When he was feeling particularly lonely, he would reread her letters. Some of them were worn from being handled so frequently over the last week.

As much as he was regretting spending his Christmas alone, it was not so bad. He did not really miss his father, but he did miss his mother. Ginny had been able to help him through the loneliness though because he could imagine the way her eyes were dancing as she joked. He remembered how happy he had been that last night in the astronomy tower. While nothing could replace the memory of his mother, Ginny had filled him with a fire that he had never felt, even with his mother's love. She was special and he was glad to have a friend like her.

Finally, he scooped up her gift and the letter and made his way up to the owlery to send them off straight away. He wanted her gift to arrive before she woke up.


	11. Chapter 11

Ginny woke up to an impatient scratching at her window. The sun had barely risen, but she was wide-awake as she saw that it was Draco's eagle owl. She let him in quickly and gave him a treat and some water as she removed the parcel from his leg. 

She could hardly contain her excitement. _He got me a gift! He got me a gift! Merry Christmas to me!_ She had not even noticed the packages resting at the foot of her bed. She was far more anxious to hear from Draco. She set down the parcel and eyed it eagerly as she tore open the letter.

Ginny smiled broader and broader as she read the letter. Her heart was fluttering, and she had no idea why, but didn't really care. She was so excited that it was Christmas and that she had received an owl from Draco.

She placed the letter on her bed and eyed the small parcel as if wondering if she should wait to open it or not. _Of course not! It's Christmas! _She reached over and quickly removed the green paper. _Always a Slytherin, of course_. She found a small, white, square box and gingerly removed the top before gasping and dropping it on the floor.

Ginny squealed and threw herself off the bed in pursuit of her fallen gift- a small, silver bracelet with a small plaque that said, "For my friend," and had a dainty ruby and emerald set into each side. She sat huddled on the floor, in her bedclothes with her hair tousled from the leap, admiring her gift when the door opened, and she immediately put her hands behind her back and tried to look innocent.

Ron came bounding in. "Come on, Ginny! Presents! Let's go downstairs. Harry and Hermione are waiting and Bill looks so giddy he may wet himself. He's a married man for crying out loud…" Ron grinned cheekily, and Ginny rewarded him with a smile. She was in such high spirits that nothing could bring her down.

"Give me just a second, okay, Ron?"

"Sure. Hey, why are you on the floor?" Ron's eyes moved over the bed and saw the empty parcel. "Hey! You started without us!"

"No, it's just someone from school. I didn't think you all would mind if I opened it. I wanted to do it quickly, so I could send the owl back."

"Looks like Malfoy's owl," Ron remarked stupidly. "So who is the present from?" _Thank Merlin that Ron was not blessed with enough brains for critical thinking._

"You don't know her. A friend at school."

"Oh," he eyed her suspiciously before adding, "So are you coming down?" Ginny nodded, and he left.

She sighed audibly. _Well that was close. Poor thing really is thick._ She chuckled and moved over to Draco's owl. "Do you know," she asked it, "that Malfoy has an owl that looks just like you? What a small world." She laughed as she reached for some parchment to send a reply so that she could get down stairs.

"Ginny! Hurry up!" she heard called through the floorboards. _Oh fine_, she thought_, I'll have to do it after I deal with those bloody gits_. She stroked Draco's owl again and said, "You'll have a bit longer to rest. Oh, and Merry Christmas." She grinned goofily at the owl that merely stared. "Oh fine, then, I'm mental. I'm talking to a bird."

She clasped the bracelet onto her wrist and made her way downstairs with her packages. She was greeted by the twins, Ron, Harry, Bill, and Charlie all looking eagerly and frustratedly at her while Fleur yawned, and Hermione looked somewhat indifferent. She heard her mother bustle in from the kitchen with a tray of steaming hot cocoa.

"Merry Christmas, dear." Her father came in and sat down. This was the cue that the boys had been waiting for, and they began tearing into their gifts.

"Thank you" chorused around the room in various intervals as Ginny moved through her pile of gifts. She got the usual- the Weasley sweater, some candy, a book, and little knickknacks. She got to her last package, a small red box, which she saw was from Harry.

_Great_, she thought_, I wonder what it is. That prat keeps looking at me like I am his long lost puppy or something. Can't he understand that it just doesn't work that way?_ She carefully opened the box and was greeted by- a bracelet. It was a thin gold rope with a lion on the clasp with a small ruby for the eye. _Another bracelet! Is the world out to get me?! Now he'll see that I am already wearing one!_

Ginny looked up to thank Harry and saw that he had moved from his place on the sofa.

"Do you like it?" Ginny heard from mere inches beside her.

"Harry! You startled me," she said leaning away from him a bit. He frowned slightly.

"Yes, I like it very much, thank you. You really shouldn't have gotten me anything so nice, though."

Harry grinned, obviously heartened by her response. "No, Ginny, you are worth it. I feel like a positive prat leaving you like we did. We should have talked to you about it. We should not have left you in the dark. I'm sorry." He reached out and grabbed her hand. Ginny's eyes widened and she snatched her hand back. Again, Harry frowned.

"Sorry, I am still a bit sleepy." _What a lame excuse! You are the lousiest liar I have ever met, Miss Ginevra Weasley_, she scolded herself mentally. "I think I'll go upstairs and put on some proper clothes." She stood to excuse herself, and Harry stood also.

"Here, let me put that on for you," he said, motioning to the bracelet. _Oh no no no._ He grabbed her hand again and saw that she was already wearing a bracelet. She saw his eyes flick over the little plaque, and he looked up to her. "I didn't know that you already had a bracelet."

"Oh, yeah, I got it this morning from someone at school."

"Who?"

"Mmm, you don't know her. She's younger. Ravenclaw."

"Oh." His eyes took in the ruby and emerald and he looked at her questioningly.

"I'm going to go change now. But here, I'll wear your on my other wrist. I can wear two at once." She thrust out her left wrist, and he hesitated before clasping it for her. She thanked him and dashed up the stairs cringing at how his hand had grazed her skin.

_What have I done to deserve this! What in the name of Merlin? _She got to her room and closed the door. She leaned her back against the closed door and breathed a sigh of relief.

She sat at her desk and smiled at the owl that sat perched looking curiously at her. "You don't even want to know." She picked up the quill, but before she could write a word, there was a knock on the door. _What is wrong with these people?_

She crossed to the door and cracked it open. Hermione peered uncertainly in at her. "Harry asked me to check on you. He said that you were acting strangely." _Acting strangely indeed_, she thought indignantly_, I am not the one who broke up with him only to give him jewelry and try to hold his hand._

Ginny opened the door wider and allowed Hermione to enter. "I'm fine," Ginny said at last. "It's early and I was caught off guard. I really didn't expect something like that from him." She sunk down onto her bed. _Why am I even telling her this? It's not like it even matters to her. _

Ginny eyed her empty roll of parchment longingly. Hermione followed her glance, noticed the owl and said, "That looks like Malfoy's owl." Ginny fought back a laugh, which came out as more of a cough.

"So really, though. What is going on?"

"I told you, I was just caught off guard."

"You know he still likes you." Ginny looked up at the bushy haired girl alarmed. Hermione smiled consolingly. "I thought that was the problem. Did you honestly think that he would just stop liking you like that?" She snapped her fingers. "He left you for your own good. He talks about you constantly. Poor thing. So don't even worry about that."

Ginny's mind was racing. _What have I done to deserve this! What have I done to deserve this!_ She pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up at Hermione's smiling face and saying, "That is completely off the point." Hermione frowned.

"But I thought-"

"Ah, Hermione Granger is finally wrong. I am over Harry. I thought he was too. That was a good thing. Then he goes giving me jewelry and getting all goggle-eyed. Not supposed to happen."

"But you liked him for ages, you don't just-"

Ginny put her hands in the air. "Whoa, Hermione. Over it. Tell him that." Hermione's eyes moved to the silver bracelet.

"So who really gave you that?"

Ginny looked away awkwardly. "I told you all. A girl. From Ravenclaw."

"Then what is with the emerald?"

"Oh honestly, no one is allowed to like emeralds unless they are in Slytherin?"

"Ah. Slytherin." Hermione's eyes glanced back toward Draco's owl. "I never said anything about Slytherin."

Ginny growled frustratedly. "Okay, I need to change. I already told you, and if you don't believe me, then that is your problem, not mine."

Hermione left the room looking suspiciously at Ginny. When Hermione closed the door, Ginny sighed and grumbled about good-for-nothing-know-it-alls as she set about grabbing some warm clothes. As she changed she pondered taking off Harry's bracelet, but thought it might be a bit rude.

She gazed appreciatively at Draco's bracelet again, and moved to sit down at her desk when the door flew open.

"Honestly, don't you people knock!" Ginny shouted at the intruder.

Ron frowned and said, "Mum wants you downstairs for breakfast." Ginny narrowed her eyes, but followed him thinking that she would never get to send Draco's letter and gift.

As she sat down at the table, she saw the looks that Hermione passed between Harry and herself.

"Oh Ginny, dear, I found this in your cloak when I went to wash it," Her mother handed her an envelope.

"Thanks, Mum." She flipped it over in her hands wondering what it was. She opened it, and two copies of a photo fell onto the table.

"Well what do we have here?" Fred reached across and grabbed one of them as George did the same.

"I don't know, because you nosy sods took them before I even got a chance to look at them," Ginny retorted bitingly but noticed the look on George's face contort quickly.

"What is going on here?" he asked her in a low voice with his eyes still on the photo. Ginny was a bit nervous. _What is it? It can't be anything too horrible can it? What have I done that I can get in trouble for?_ She reached up and snatched the photo out of George's hands as Fred handed his to Ron whose face promptly turned beet red.

She flipped it around and saw the photo from the snowman day. She laughed out loud at the snowman and felt her heart leap when she noticed herself leaning against Draco would was fiddling with her hair. She unconsciously began twirling his bracelet and continued laughing softly.

Unbeknownst to her, the kitchen had fallen silent as Fred, George and Ron glared at her and everyone else gathered around the photo Ron was holding.

Ron's voice broke the silence as he said low and dangerously, "Care to explain?"

"What?" Ginny's head snapped up and took in the angry and curious eyes.

"Oh! Zat iz ze Malfoy boy! I remember him from Hogwarts. He was quite lovely." Fleur smiled indulgently at Ginny, who snorted out a laugh as her brothers turned to look at her incredulously.

Bill was looking murderous. "Lovely? Is he lovely, my dear? Is this," he gestured to the scars across his face, "lovely?"

Fleur blanched slightly and said, "Ooh. I forgot."

"Lucky you."

Ginny was glaring furiously at the interchange. She had forgiven him. He was not the same boy. He was different. They were not likely to take that story in anytime soon.

"I think I'll take that now," she snatched the photo out of Ron's hand. Outraged cries sounded and several hands reached to claim the photo, but she kept her hold of it. She caught Harry's eye. _He looks confused. He looks hurt. Well it's not my bloody fault. We are not together, Potter_, she felt like yelling but held it in.

"Ginny?" her mother asked questioningly.

"What? Can I not have a friend? This lot left me high and dry. I had no one and neither did he. His parents were _murdered_! Did anyone stop to think that maybe he might need a friend!"

"I think he's got more than friendship on his mind," Ron retorted angrily.

"Oh this is rubbish. I don't have to explain myself to you. I can take care of myself. Not that I need to," she added quickly. "He has changed. I gave him a second chance, but I don't expect you closed-minded prats to do the same. You think that the Slytherins are prejudiced, but it's nothing compared to you three. You stand behind these ideals and judge them before you speak to them. You are just as prejudiced as they are." Ginny turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen leaving everyone wide-eyed and shocked.

When she reached her room, she slammed the door, and Draco's owl hooted indignantly. She muttered several locking charms before throwing herself onto the bed, angry tears in her eyes.

After about an hour of plotting slow and painful deaths for the trio, Ginny finally stood and moved over to her desk with every intention of finally sending Draco's gift. She felt bad that it would arrive so late

_Dear Draco, _

_Thank you so much for the bracelet! It is beautiful. I have spent all morning admiring it. It was very thoughtful of you. I always pegged you as the type to give generic gifts, but I was pleasantly surprised. I judged too soon, I see._

_Speaking of judging. I got into a fight with my family this morning. All of them. They saw this photo of us. I didn't even know that it had been taken, but Colin gave it to me on the way to the train at the beginning of the holiday. I forgot about it until this morning and opened it at the breakfast table. Needless to say, I live in a family full of small-minded prats. But I gave them a good telling off._

_I wish more than ever that I were back at school with you… But now I have the photo, so I feel a bit better. I hope it makes you feel better too. I was contemplating seeing if they would send me back early, but I'm not so sure that they will after this morning. Eh, maybe they will just so they can get rid of me more quickly._

_Anyway, Merry Christmas. Sorry my gift isn't as wonderful as yours. I did the best I could with a load of nosy sods following me around Diagon Alley._

_Missing you terribly, Ginny_

She smiled and sealed the letter before attaching it to the parcel, which contained a customized set of potions vials. She knew that he needed more, and she bought the nicest ones that she could afford. She added a copy of the photo to the parcel and secured it to the owl's leg. She smiled as it sailed away quickly and hoped that his day was going much better than hers.

She screwed herself up to go back downstairs and convince her mother to let her leave. As she turned away from the window, though, she saw Ron, Harry and Hermione walk out the back door as her mother trailed tearily behind. They apparated away with a crack and her mother let out a loud sob before returning to the house. _So they have gone already. My fault no doubt_, she thought. _Now Mum will be really angry that I scared them away so soon. It will be my fault, of course._ Ginny took a deep breath and turned to face the door. As she heard footsteps draw closer, she removed the locking charms and waited for her mother's rant.


	12. Chapter 12

Draco sat by the fire anxiously awaiting an owl from Ginny. It was Christmas morning, and he was alone. Every time he would get really sad and start to miss his mother, he would pull out his letters from Ginny and read them again. Hours had gone my since he had owled Ginny, and he was getting anxious. 

Finally, he decided to go up to the owlery to head off his owl. Plus it would keep him from sitting still in all of his misery. The whole way up he wondered if she had hated his gift and that was why she was ignoring him. Or maybe she wasn't even his friend. Maybe she was pretending and knew he would be really upset if she ignored him on Christmas. He wondered if maybe she had forgiven the trio and was chatting away merrily with them and had forgotten he existed. Maybe they decided to let her go with them to do Merlin-knows-what.

Just as he was getting really depressed, he saw his owl approaching the tower and waited anxiously for it to arrive. "Fly faster!" he urged. He was practically jumping up and down by the time it arrived, a parcel dangling below. He removed the package and dashed back down to the dungeon as quickly as he could. It was a good thing that he was the only student there, because he was paying more attention to the package in his hands than to where he was going. He flew around a corner and almost crashed headlong into Professor McGonagall, but didn't stop. He shouted over his shoulder, "Merry Christmas, Professor!"

Draco arrived in the dungeon common room out of breath and collapsed onto the sofa still clutching his package. He breathed deeply a few times before extricating the piece of parchment and reading it.

When he saw that she liked his bracelet, he let out a huge grin. He had spent days deliberating over what to get her, and finally decided on ordering the bracelet by owl order. He did not usually put a lot of thought into gifts- sometimes he didn't even select them himself at all. When he saw that Ginny had suspected that, he laughed a little. She knew him fairly well.

Then he read about the argument with her family and the photo. He wracked his brain for any recollection of a photo being taken, but found none, so he wondered what on earth it was of. He eyed the package and assumed that she had put it in there, so he continued reading. He wrinkled his brow as she said that her family had thrown a fit. Of course he knew that they all hated him, but it still gave him a pang. He wished that he were the sort of guy that Ginny could bring home to her parents. Then he wondered why on earth he thought about being introduced to her parents. That is what couples do. He shook his head and continued. He was pleased to see that she had defended him. Not that she should have, of course. He knew that no one could have liked her defending a Malfoy, but it still made him feel really happy. That flutter was picking up in his chest again.

She wanted to be here with him! Of course, it was not the first time that she had said that, but he always just assumed that she was just trying to make him feel better. Who would want to spend their holiday in a drafty, old castle when they could spend it in a warm home with their family? But she was trying to come back early. That meant that she really did want to be there with him! His smile widened at the thought of her convincing her mother to let her come back to be with him.

Finally, she wished him a Merry Christmas and apologized for her choice in gifts. He really didn't care what it was at all. Gifts never really excited him. It was more the idea that someone had cared enough to buy him something. Just looking at the package made him really happy. He opened the box and the first thing he saw when he opened it was a wizard's photo.

He gasped audibly and grabbed it. A smile slowly moved across his features as he took in the image. Ginny was leaning against him. She was smiling at him. He was twirling her hair. The snowman said something, and she dissolved into laughter while he pretended to be offended. He remembered that day often in his dreams. He remembered how beautiful she had been with her bright hair reflecting off the new snow and how she had cheekily challenged him with the snowman. In the photo, she grinned up at him expectantly and he said something that made her blush a little before smiling and leaning back against his stomach. He loved it when she blushed. She looked so innocent and beautiful. He had never encountered anyone who blushed in Slytherin. They were all too cold and self-aware to blush. He loved that about Ginny. He idly thought about his use of the word love and how she had signed that letter when the trio arrived.

Almost thirty minutes later, he looked away from the photo feeling so happy and confused that he forgot that there was more in the box. Finally, he snapped out of his reverie and peered into the box. Inside he found a very nice set of crystal vials. He saw that she had personalized them for him. "To my favorite potions tutor." He smiled. She knew that he had wanted some new vials and that he was very picky about which ones he would use. She had apparently paid attention, because she chose very well. He smiled even broader at the fact that she had paid such careful attention to what he said.

Draco grasped the photo again and leaned back against the couch surrounded by paper and his new vials. He did not know how long he gazed into the photo watching Ginny's every movement, smiling when she smiled and laughing when she laughed. He heard his stomach growl impatiently for breakfast and ignored it, remembering how Ginny had said that his stomach made funny noises. He did not even realized that he had fallen asleep with the photo still clutched in his hand until he was woken suddenly by a pounding in the corridor outside his common room. He grumbled about Peeves making too much noise as he went out to investigate, the photo still clutched in his hand. When he opened the portrait hole, he was suddenly assaulted and was caught so off guard that he fell over.

"Draco!" Ginny saw the portrait hole ease open and before he could even step out of it, she threw herself at him in a hug. She had apparently misjudged his coherence, however, because he fell over and she landed on top of him.

All Draco could see was red hair, and he was suddenly wide-awake and wrapped Ginny in a tight hug forgetting about the fact that he was now on the floor. "Merry Christmas," he murmured into her hair.

Ginny pulled back and said, "Merry Christmas!" then sheepishly looked around and said, "Sorry I knocked you over." She stood and put out her hand to help him stand. He took it, but after he got up, he did not let go, but dragged her into the Slytherin common room.

"You came!" he announced happily as she took a seat next to him on the couch.

"Yeah, my mum was furious. She was mad about Harry, Ron and Hermione leaving and blamed it on me, pretty much."

"They left?"

"After our argument over breakfast. It's not my fault that they are hypocritical prats, though. I told my mum that and she was not too thrilled. I told her that I wanted to come back, and she threw a fit. Something about ruining Christmas. I sort of guilted her, though, I told her that you were alone up here and that if she thought our Christmas was ruined she should think of yours." Ginny glanced shyly at Draco who didn't seem to mind that she had used him as an excuse to escape. He seemed too thrilled to even notice what she was saying. He was just staring at her with the biggest grin she had ever seen him wear.

"So, you seem happy? Have you had an okay holiday?" She took in the Slytherin common room. She had never been down there before and noticed that it was covered in half-played games of chess and exploding snap. She leaned forward to the coffee table and noticed her letters looking extremely worn. _He read them a lot, it would seem_, she thought to herself. She noticed Draco eying them and wondered if he was embarrassed. _That is something I never expected to see. A Malfoy embarrassed. It's pretty cute actually._

"It was pretty dull, I must admit. But now that you're here it is much better!" Draco exclaimed the last bit with such enthusiasm that it seemed he surprised himself. He had slowly opened up about his emotions, but never really said anything to give them away, except that he missed Ginny. She could tell now the extent to which he missed her and her heart jumped up into her throat. She grinned broadly at him and he at her until his stomach growled loudly and they both laughed.

"I told you that your stomach makes funny noises," she pointed out while getting to her feet. "Shall we go to the kitchens for some breakfast? Mine was ruined and it doesn't sound like you've even tried."

Draco nodded and the two made their way to the kitchens. One tickled pear, several eager house elves, and a few requests later, they were sitting at a table surrounded by a huge spread of food.

"Out did themselves a bit, I think," remarked Draco gathering his food onto his plate. He had not eaten a proper meal since Ginny left. It would seem that his appetite has gone on holiday with her, but now that things were as they should be and he was with her, it was back. The two ate for what seemed like ages all the while filling in the gaps of what had happened between letters.

Ginny was shocked to find that Draco had scarcely left the dungeons in a week, and determined that a walk was in order. Before they left, Draco whispered to the house elves who looked very pleased about something. Ginny eyed him curiously and suspiciously, but he shrugged and led her outside.

They walked for a while around the frozen lake before stopping under their tree.

"I used to love ice skating when I was a kid," Draco mused aloud and Ginny smiled. She conjured up two pairs of ice skates. He looked at her like she was mental. "I haven't done it in years! I'll be complete rubbish."

"Well, I have never ice skated before, and I always wanted to try, so you can teach me. There's no way that you are more rubbish than me!" Ginny strapped the skates on and indicated for him to do the same. Draco had no idea what had come over him. One minute he did not want to skate, then she smiled at him and he was certain that he had never wanted to do something so much in his life. She had bewitched him and he loved it.

Moments later, he had his skates strapped on and helped Ginny to her feet. As they got over to the ice, he motioned for Ginny to stop and skated forward. "Just glide like this. It's pretty easy to just move around slowly on the ice." Watching him, Ginny thought, _What have I gotten myself into! I'm going to fall and break my leg, and I suggested it! He looks amazing out there, though._

Draco's features had softened and he looked like a natural on the ice. The last time he had skated, he had been with his mother. Happy memories of his family and his childhood came flowing back, and he was so glad that Ginny had come into his life. He had forgotten how to be happy about his memories, and how to create new ones. He skated back to Ginny, and she eyed him uncomfortably before moving forward.

She had gotten no more than three feet before she lost control and fell, clutching his arm tightly and bringing him down to the ice with her. For the second time in one day, Draco was on the ground in the arms of a beautiful girl and was so happy he thought he might just die of it.

A few moments later Ginny rolled over rubbing her backside and winced. "Well that hurt." He laughed at her and pulled her up again. As she stood, she steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders and found herself looking into his eyes. _His eyes are amazing! _She noticed how alive he looked. His eyes seemed to be laughing. She could see a fire within them that she recognized as the one she felt when she was with him. His eyes broke contact as they looked down at her lips, then away.

She took her hands from his shoulders, braced herself and said, "I'm ready." Draco nodded, took her hand, and they moved forward slowly. Ginny quickly got used to the gliding sensation of the ice beneath her feet, and the pair skated circles around the lake for hours. Every now and then, Draco would take off and speed circles around her, then slow and skate by her side again. As the afternoon grew late and the sun fell lower in the sky, Draco and Ginny finally moved toward their tree.

"I think I am frozen to the bone. But I don't really think I care, because that was so much fun!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she plopped into the snow to remove her skates. Draco smiled and nodded his agreement.

They slowly made their way back up to the castle in amiable silence. Ginny followed Draco back downstairs to his common room, where they collapsed in front of the fire.

"Thanks for making me do that," Draco commented, "I had a lot of fun." Ginny smiled at him before looking back toward the fire, gingerly fingering her bracelet. He noticed that she had been doing that all day and yet every time she did it, his heart jumped wildly.

"So what now?" Ginny asked, and Draco looked up at the clock.

"Well we should have dinner soon, I think." Ginny nodded.

Just then, the portrait opened and in came several house elves with a cart full of food.

Ginny squealed and jumped to her feet. "Draco! You got us dinner!" he nodded and smiled inwardly at her enthusiasm. Soon the house elves had the table dressed, places set, candles lit, and trays full of steaming food placed.

"Draco, this is amazing! This is way better than Christmas dinner at home!" and Draco agreed.

The pair sat in candle-lit silence eating the delicious food with the occasional comment on the meal. After they were both suitably stuffed, they went back to the sofa in front of the fire and Ginny curled up with her head in his lap. Draco unconsciously began to stroke her hair.

"This was the best Christmas I ever had," Ginny said finally.

"I agree. Thanks for coming back to see me," he added looking down on her tenderly. Ginny opened her eyes and smiled up at him wondering what the look on his face was before her sleepiness took over and she closed her eyes again.

Soon Draco's eyes closed and his head lolled back onto the back of the sofa where he fell fast asleep and dreamed about a certain redhead all night.


	13. Chapter 13

Draco awoke to see red splashed across the plush green fabric of his sofa and to find his legs tingling from lack of circulation. Without moving, a smile spread across his face, and he allowed himself a few moments before trying to disentangle the sleeping girl from his lap. 

Finally he lifted his head and groaned in pain. Ginny stirred and opened her eyes sleepily. She blinked incoherently at Draco's face that was contorted in pain before she said, "Good morning," and tried to sit up. When she failed, she just rolled onto the floor and gazed up at him. "You okay?"

"I have what has got to be the _worst_ pain in my neck. I think that no one has ever felt such pain. I think it may be broken. I think I may be dying," he finished melodramatically.

"Oh be quiet, it's just a crick. You shouldn't have slept like that." Draco eyed her accusatorially. "What? It's not my fault. You could have shoved me on the floor."

Draco mumbled something unintelligible under his breath as he continued rubbing his neck.

"Oh stop being such a baby," Ginny cried trying to conceal her smile as she climbed back onto the couch. Draco noticed that her eyes were still only half open with sleep and that she had wrinkles on her cheek, and he smiled. "What are you smiling about? Turn around," she commanded playfully but sternly.

He gave her a look, but turned away from her all the same. She began rubbing his neck, and he felt as if he had died and gone to heaven. Then he pondered that heaven was probably not even as good as the neck rub he was receiving.

Ginny could tell that he was enjoying the neck rub and smiled. _His skin is so soft_, she mused to herself,_ it's as if it has never been touched. And never seen the light of day. I thought I was as pale as it comes, but this boy sure could give me a run for my money…_

She stopped, and he made a noise at her. Ginny's shoulders shook with silent laughter, but did not continue. Finally, he turned to look at her with a big pout on his face, and she lost control and fell back onto the floor laughing while he looked down at her indignantly.

The next few days passed without much of anything exciting happening. They spent every waking moment together, and even a few sleeping, because Ginny would often stay in his common room until it was so late that she couldn't bring herself to walk up to Gryffindor tower. Draco, however, never made the mistake of falling asleep on the couch with her again. After she fell asleep, he would sneak into his room and sleep in his big, comfy bed and wake up early enough to sneak back into the common room and pretend that he had stayed there all night.

Finally, it was the last evening of the holiday, and the other students were due back for dinner in the Great Hall. After some convincing, Ginny had finally persuaded him that he could not eat every meal in the kitchen, and that he should at least make an appearance in the Great Hall every now and then so that people would know he was still alive. He had moaned and groaned the whole way up and sulkily sunk into a chair beside Ginny at the corner of the empty table to wait for the others.

_I have never seen anyone act so childish_, thought Ginny. _Not even Ron, and THAT is saying something. He is pretty adorable when he does it, though_. She snuck a look at him out of the corner of her eye and saw him moodily tracing the wood grain on the table. _I never thought I would see a Malfoy pouting. I'm sure he is used to just snapping and getting his way. But not with me. I put my foot down. _She nodded in determination, and he looked up at her frowning.

"Sorry," Ginny muttered and looked away trying to conceal her smile. Instead, she caught Headmistress McGonagall's eyes, which twinkled at her knowingly. _That is weird. What on earth was that look supposed to mean?_ Before she could get any further in her silent investigation, however, the door opened and noise filtered into the hall with the returning students.

No matter how long she had been at school last term, Ginny was still caught off guard by the small number of students. She heard Draco mumbling under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked sweetly.

He gave her a death glare before replying, "Nothing." Ginny chuckled.

The truth was that Draco had gotten used to having Ginny to himself all of the time, and while she was not particularly social with the other students, he didn't want to share her. He especially didn't want to see the way that Colin was always looking at her. Like she was a scrumptious piece of chocolate. He glared at Colin for good measure, whose eyes widened as he skirted around Draco, who nodded in satisfaction. He was not sure where this possessiveness and jealousy had come from. It was not as if they were dating, but he still wanted her to see only him. It was not an unusual occurrence for Draco to feel that way, but it was unusual for him to feel it so deeply and to feel it for a Gryffindor. A Weasley Gryffindor.

As if trying to remove the thoughts from his mind, Draco shook his head, and his hair fell into his eyes. Before he could reach up and brush it out of his eyes, however, a small, warm hand reached over and did it for him. He caught Ginny's eyes, and she smiled. _He looks positively divine when his hair is a mess and his eyes shine at me like that_, she thought.

Ginny was too busy pondering the strange emotion that had caused her to brush his hair out of his eyes, _and intimate act_, she thought, that she completely missed Professor McGonagall's welcome speech. She finally snapped back to attention as the food magically appeared, and she realized how hungry she was.

After she finished eating, she sat back and waited for Draco. "I suppose we should go to bed early tonight. Early morning tomorrow, and all," Ginny said at last. Draco looked up at her and frowned.

"I guess so," the two made their way to the doors, and before turning to go to their separate dormitories, Draco said, "Good night, Ginny."

"Good night, Draco." He watched as she turned and disappeared up the hallway, a frown still playing across his features. Finally, he turned and walked toward the dungeons, unaware that the Headmistress had followed the whole interchange from the head table with a smile on her face.

The next day was a typical Monday. Draco and Ginny trudged sleepily to their first class, where they worked in silent communication on the day's potion. Then to Charms where Ginny corrected his wand movement several times, and he managed to set her crying when he was supposed be cheering her. Then after lunch, they went to transfiguration where they were to transfigure each other into tea-kettles and back, and Draco was stuck as a tea-kettle for several minutes while Ginny tried to remember how to turn him back. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in Herbology, a class in which both were quite skilled, so there were no mishaps.

There was, however, something very atypical about the day. In every class, the professors stressed the importance of the impending NEWTS, and in every class, they offered to let the sixth years sit the exam. Ginny was delighted. _After all, I have been taking all NEWT level classes. I don't think that I am any less prepared than Draco._ She knew that it would be a lot of work and that the rest of the year would be full of tension and stress, but she also knew that if she could graduate with the others, then she would gladly do so.

After that point, schoolwork became more intense than ever and Draco and Ginny barely saw each other in a non-school-related context. True, they went to all of their classes together and studied together, but there was not much playfulness going on.

The next week, as if things could not get any busier, Professor McGonagall announced that all students fifth year and up would be having career counseling, and that it was particularly important for anyone sitting their NEWTS that they have an idea of what they would like to do after school.

The morning before their scheduled meetings, Ginny and Draco were lounging in one of the few moments of peace they had found in the Slytherin common room. Ginny had taken to avoiding her own common room now that the others had returned, and Draco's was so quiet and calm that it was her safe haven.

"So what do you want to do after school?" Ginny asked. It seemed strange that they had been inseparable for months and that she didn't know something as important as that.

Draco smiled slyly at her before replying, "I'm not telling. It's a secret." Ginny pouted and he said, "No, I will not tell. I need to talk to McGonagall first to even see if it is possible. What about you?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows and looked away. In an airy voice she replied, "Oh, nothing. I can't tell you. It's a secret, you see." She looked back and shook her finger at him, "I cannot tell. No, no, no."

Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, be that way."

They walked together up to the Headmistress' office, and Ginny waited outside while Draco had his meeting. He came out looking pleased and Ginny looked at him curiously, but did not have a chance to ask him anything before being ushered into Professor McGonagall's office.

The door closed loudly behind her, and Ginny took a seat. Her eyes took in the changes that had occurred since Professor Dumbledore had inhabited it. Her gaze stopped on the portrait of her late Headmaster, and it winked at her. Ginny smiled sadly before returning her gaze to Professor McGonagall.

"I see that you have decided to sit your NEWTS this year. I daresay you are prepared. You have one of the highest marks this year. In fact, you and Mr. Malfoy are running head-to-head for highest marks. Changes weekly, it seems." Again, she shot Ginny that knowing look, and Ginny looked at her quizzically before replying. _It seems she has taken on Dumbledore's role as the quirky headmistress. I have no idea what that look meant, but I saw that twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes more than once._

"Thank you, Professor." Then she thought of something. "What did Draco decide he wants to do?" Professor McGonagall smiled and shook her head.

"I can't tell you that, I'm afraid. So, are you still interested in going to Healer's training at St. Mungo's?" she asked while rifling through a file of papers, a smirk hidden.

"Yes, Professor."

"Well, that's fine. You are good with potions and herbology, the two most important classes for the field. And your charms marks are very high, indeed, which will always benefit a Healer. I think you would be a fine candidate."

Ginny smiled broadly and replied, "Thank you, Professor."

Professor McGonagall gathered up a stack of parchment and passed it to Ginny. "Here is the information about St. Mungo's Healer Training program. I have also enclosed an application. It is due by the end of February. Of course, your NEWTS scores will be taken into consideration and you final marks here at Hogwarts, so you'll need to keep your grades up, but I am sure that won't be a problem. Also Madam Pomfrey takes a couple of apprentices every year if you are serious about it." Ginny nodded and the Headmistress stood. "If that is all, then you are free to go, Miss Weasley."

"Thank you." Ginny left the office, smiling again at Professor Dumbledore's portrait, which said, "Nice to see you, Miss Weasley," before she exited. She ran to the bottom of the steps and nearly collided with Draco at the bottom.

"Tell me now! You talked to her! I want to know!" she shouted excitedly.

Draco grinned and said, "Let's go back to my common room, and we can talk about it there. I am quite tired of standing, you know. You girls sure can chatter on. I'm sure you were up there no less than an hour. And me standing here waiting all the while."

Ginny rolled her eyes and tried to snatch the parchment from his hands. He clucked his tongue at her and began to walk back down to the dungeons.

After a quick walk, Ginny plopped onto the sofa next to Draco and said, "You can't put it off any longer! I want to know!"

"Tell me your choice, first."

"Why? I asked first!"

"Ahh, but ladies always go first. I am a gentlemen, you see," he said in a calm voice that he knew would irritate her.

"Fine. I am going into Healer Training at St. Mungo's. Now tell me." But Draco froze. Ginny huffed impatiently.

"Healer training? You want to be a healer?"

"No, I am taking Healer Training to be a Dragon Tamer."

He looked over at her, his face illegible. "I am going into Healer Training at St. Mungo's," he replied finally.

Ginny squealed and jumped up and onto him in the most poorly executed hug ever. She was much too excited to notice that she was smothering him, and he was much too pleased that she was so close to realize that he couldn't breathe.

Finally she pulled back, her face flushed and an enormous grin spread across her features. "We'll be in training together! Oh, I was so worried that I would never see you after graduation."

At this, Draco huffed indignantly. "Were you trying to get rid of me? I see how it is," and he pretended to be hurt.

"Don't be daft! If you had gone into something like Auror training I would never see you, and you know it."

"As if I could ever be an Auror. Half of them hate me. And the other half is too addled by their combat injuries to realize it was me, or they would hate me. Besides, I wouldn't want to hurt this." He made a motion across his face, and Ginny punched him playfully.

"I am so happy that we'll be together after school," she sighed and leaned back on him.

"Me too."

Draco, as much as he pretended like it didn't matter, was jumping up and down inside. He, too, had been worried about parting with her. Now he had a bona fide excuse to see her all the time! It made him nervous how much he had been dreading their separation. Malfoys were not supposed to be dependent on anyone, but he felt that without Ginny he would not have been able to go on.

Mostly he hadn't wanted to tell her what he wanted to do in case she wanted to do something else, and he didn't want her to know that he had changed his mind for her. He would though. If she wanted to be a radish farmer in Tibet, he would follow her. As long as he didn't have to get dirty. But she had chosen to be a Healer, which was his first choice also.

The two sat in amiable silence until Ginny fell asleep. Draco noted that she always managed to fall asleep in the most inconvenient positions. In order to move, he would have to pick her up. So he did, and as he held her, he noticed how small and innocent she looked, though he knew her to be a little spitfire. He moved to put her back down on the couch, but stopped and moved toward his room.

He placed her in his bed and tucked the sheets around her tightly. He knew how cold it could get in that room. He walked to the door and admired her a moment before turning away. Her red hair contrasted beautifully against his green silk sheets, and he suddenly had a pang in his chest that had become all too familiar in respect to Ginny. He wondered idly what her full name was before turning from the room and curling up on the sofa

**

* * *

**


	14. Chapter 14

The next month passed quickly with the newfound vigor of schoolwork. On top of their daily studies and NEWTS revision, Draco and Ginny were attending Healer apprenticeship with Madam Pomfrey, who always kept them busy. 

Before the pair realized it, it was almost mid-February, and at breakfast one morning, Professor McGonagall made an announcement.

"Students, I would like to let you all know that since Hogsmeade visits are impossible for Valentine's Day this year due to the current events, the staff has decided to host a dinner and dance." The Hall broke into hurried whispers, mostly by the girls, as the guys looked bewildered.

Ginny snorted into her pumpkin juice as Professor McGonagall announced the dance. After carefully wiping the juice off of her chin under the careful inspection of Draco with a smirk on his face, Ginny said, "That is the most worthless holiday ever invented." She raised her eyebrows as if to challenge him.

"Ahh. Are you bitter, Miss Weasley? Been crossed in love one time too many on Valentine's Day?"

Ginny just glared at him. "Perhaps it is because I think that it is an excuse for girls to get all mopey because either they don't have a boyfriend, or he forgot about it, or her friend got a better gift than her. You don't have to deal with it. I have been stuck in a dorm full of girls for the last five of them. It's torture."

Draco smiled playfully at her. "Is that your way of guilting me into asking you to the dance? You think if I pity you, I won't leave you alone to their torment?"

Ginny sputtered, "What? No. I don't even want to go to-"

"Very well, you've twisted my arm. Will you go to the dance with me? You can be my Valentine," at this he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

She hit him and said, "Oh shut up. Fine, you can be my Valentine." Inwardly she was smiling. _What a ridiculous way to ask me to the dance. He could have just asked. I would have said yes even though the whole holiday is for the nutters. I think we could have quite a good time poking fun at the puppy-eyed girls._ She also secretly admitted to herself that Draco would make a very handsome Valentine. Much better than her previous ones.

"Are you daydreaming about how wonderful and charming I am, and how lucky you are to be going to the dance with me?" he asked, breaking her from her thought.

"Yes, of course I am. Come on, we had better not be late to potions." Draco narrowed his eyes at her as if wondering if she was telling the truth or playing along. Finally he stood and assumed that she had just being messing with him, and they walked to class.

* * *

Valentine's Day dawned bright and much too cheery for Ginny. She really did not like the holiday and found that the only reason that it would be bearable was that she would have Draco at her side in joint mockery of the day. Since it was a Saturday and she was not required to wear her school uniform, Ginny pulled on a charcoal sweater and black pants before making her way down to breakfast.

Draco caught her eye as she entered and took in her choice of clothing with a smirk. Girls wearing lurid shades of pink and red surrounded him. Ginny would not fit in well with the other girls at all.

As she sat next to him, he said, "My don't you look cheery this morning. And so festive. It's a shame. I was so looking forward to seeing you in some awful, I mean beautiful, shade of magenta. I think it would compliment you skin tone so well."

Ginny finally cracked a smile. "You think so?" and with that she pulled out her wand and charmed her shirt, which immediately changed into a bright shade of magenta that clashed horribly with her red hair. Draco let out a cry of mirth before breaking into loud and painful fits of laughter. He was holding his side, and his eyes began to tear up. Ginny nodded, satisfied, and turned back to her breakfast, still donning the ridiculous sweater.

Students and Professors alike watched the pair in interest. They had never seen Draco Malfoy act like that. He was always so quiet and stoic during meals, yet here he was laughing as if his life depended on it as Ginny tried to hide the grin on her face.

Finally Draco calmed enough to breathe again. "That sweater-" he began, "is the most amazing color for your complexion. Just as I anticipated. But you need to complete the look." She eyed him suspiciously, but he waved his wand and she found herself clad in a short red skirt and white boots with a large pink bonnet on her head.

When she saw herself she cried out in shock, then laughed a little. Then she charmed the skirt to be a bit longer while looking pointedly at Draco who just shrugged and tried to look innocent, then continued eating her breakfast. Draco's shoulders shook in silent laughter for the rest of the meal.

That night, Ginny was trying to get ready for the dance and found that for some reason she actually cared how she looked. She didn't really care about the dance or anyone else, but she felt that she should look good if she was supposed to be Draco's date. Finally, she donned a deep emerald, cocktail length dress, and her long red hair moved in smooth waves down her back. Satisfied, she made her way down to the entrance hall where she was supposed to meet Draco.

As she opened the portrait hole, however, she found him standing outside it with a white rose. "What are you doing here? We were supposed to meet downstairs," she said, taking in Draco's appearance and the rose in his hand.

"I thought it only proper to pick up my date. None of this meeting there business," and he handed her the rose, avoiding her eyes.

"Thank you," she said somewhat breathlessly. _Oh, get a hold of yourself_, she thought,_ this is Valentine's Day, and you hate it. Draco was just being a polite date._ He held out his arm for her, and she took hold of it as they moved in silence toward the Great Hall.

As the music grew louder and closer, he finally said, "I like that color on you. Very Slytherin. Also so much better with your hair color than that pink you wore all day. What were you thinking?" he asked teasingly.

The Great Hall had been arranged with several smaller, circular tables and Ginny and Draco took a table in the corner away from all of the others. _Something about this seems a lot like a date_, Ginny thought to herself eyeing the little table where they sat. It was set with fine china, and Draco looked pleased.

At the center of the table was a vase with some cheap-looking flowers, and Draco eyed them disdainfully before vanishing them and placing Ginny's rose into it. She smiled in gratitude.

Throughout dinner, awkward silences kept creeping into their conversation. _See, _Ginny thought_, this is why I hate Valentine's Day. You can't even talk to you friends without it being awkward._ Ginny noticed Draco looking out at the couples spattered around the room. Most were holding hands or gazing longingly at the other.

"Draco," she simpered batting her eyelashes, "You could hold my hand," and let out a high, false girlish giggle that immediately set him smiling again, and broke the silence. He reached out and took her hand across the table, and both stared at their hands for a moment before Draco pulled back again and let out a little cough.

He reached under the table and pulled out a box. "Here. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Wait. What? You did not get me a gift!" she scolded while eyeing the box.

"Of course I did. You are my Valentine, and I am a gentleman," he responded cheekily.

"You really shouldn't have done that."

"I wanted to. Consider it a gift between friends. Pretend like it isn't Valentine's Day."

Ginny looked contemplative before answering, "Okay, fine, but no more gifts for me. I didn't even get you anything."

"I don't mind," he answered truthfully and pushed the box toward her.

She looked at him again and then grabbed the box. On top was written, "For my Valentine," and she was reminded of her bracelet, which said, "For my Friend." She pulled the paper off it to find a small white box, and she looked up at him questioningly before opening it and finding a pair of earrings- each with an emerald and a ruby.

"Draco!" she cried. "You can't give me these!" She never looked away from them, and he smiled knowing that she loved them.

"Of course I can. I noticed that you seem to like the bracelet, and I thought you would like some earrings to match." She looked up her him, her eyes wide. Her hand had instinctively gone to her wrist where she fingered her bracelet.

"I do love the bracelet, but this is too much. They are beautiful."

"Then they are yours," he smiled cheekily. "You can't give them back, because I don't have my ears pierced so they won't do me any good."

Ginny let out a breathy laugh before starting to fasten them to her ears. Draco thought she had never looked so beautiful. She looked so unsure of herself as she placed them on, but their sparkle complimented the sparkle in her eyes, and he could not help but stare.

Finally she noticed him and said, "Admiring your good taste?"

"Of course. As a Malfoy, I have impeccable taste. Would you like to dance?"

Ginny blinked and said, "Yes," slowly. He stood and held out his hand for her. She took it, and he led her a few feet away so that they could dance in the relative privacy of their corner.

"So was this Valentine's Day as dreadful as the last?" he asked finally, as he held her hand in one hand and her lower back in the other. She was smaller than he was, and from his position above her, he could smell the vanilla scent of her shampoo.

Ginny had been eyeing her hand in his. _His hand is so big, _she thought_, and he is taller than I thought. _"No, it was better. I think that outfit helped, because I couldn't help but laugh at myself most of the day."

His arm pulled her a bit closer, and she looked up at him, to see him looking intently down at her. They froze, their faces inches apart. She saw him swallow. The look in his eyes was unreadable, but his grey eyes were glowing with an intensity that she had never seen.

Draco leaned down and his lips brushed lightly against hers. She stiffened, and then briefly kissed him back. He pulled away with confusion on his face. "Shall we finish our dessert?" and he led Ginny back to the table. _Did he just kiss me? Did I kiss back? Why did he pull away? What in the name o Merlin is going on? He doesn't like me. We're just friends. What just happened? _She thought frantically to herself as she sat down as pulled her dessert toward her.

They ate in silence. Draco was wondering what had possessed him to kiss her and if she had really kissed him back or he had imagined that. Wondering if she would be angry with him for so boldly kissing her when they were not on a real date. Ginny was wondering why he had kissed her and if she had kissed him back or imagined it. Wondering if he was disgusted with her and that was why he pulled away. Wondering if he was thinking that it was a moment of insanity.

As the music wound down and students started to leave, Ginny gathered her rose, and she and Draco made their way to the door in awkward silence. She started to wish him a goodnight when he said, "I will walk you to your tower."

"Thank you."

The pair walked through the quiet, darkened corridors of the castle, every now and then glancing at the other out of the corner of their eye. Finally, they reached her portrait hole, and Ginny said quietly, "Goodnight, Draco. Thank you for my gift."

He shifted uncomfortably. "You're welcome. Thanks for coming to dinner with me."

She smiled slightly, "As if I don't go to dinner with you every night, anyway."

He smiled too. "Right. Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight," and Ginny disappeared into the portrait hole. Draco narrowed his eyes in thought and shook his head. Letting out a small sigh, he turned and made his way toward the dungeons.

As he neared the entrance hall, however, he heard a voice that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Yes, Minerva. They have completed the task," he heard a small cry somewhere between triumph and disbelief.

"Are you sure, Severus?"

"I am sure. Lupin told me that they had returned and were asking about returning to school." Draco sunk into the shadows as he heard the voices and footsteps draw nearer.

As they passed, Draco saw someone that he had hoped never to see again. His godfather's face looked gaunt and pale, his eyes dark and shrunken, and his hair stringier than usual. Draco swallowed and sunk to the floor, his own face so drained of color that he could have been mistaken for a ghost.

Almost an hour had passed before he finally stood. He carefully made his way out of the shadows and toward the stairs, though he did not go in the direction of his common room. He needed to think. His heart was racing, and he knew that he would not get to sleep that night. He had too much to think about.

As he slowly but determinately made his way up the astronomy tower, he was lost in thought. As he reached the top, he did not realize that he was not alone. He sat and stared blankly out at the sky and shuddered under the cold breeze until he heard a soft, sweet voice.

"Draco?"

He turned his head so quickly that he heard it pop, but he was busy staring at the redhead who was looking curiously at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, moving closer.

"No," he replied in defeat.

It was not the response that she had expected. He always denied it when he was upset or frustrated. To hear the defeat in his voice made her heart break. She sat down in front of him on the cold stone, conjured a blanket that she wrapped around him, and with her hand on his shoulder, looked questioningly at him. "What happened?"

"Snape is here." It was all he could say. The look of horror on Ginny's face told him that at least he was not alone in the pain of the revelation.

"Oh Draco, I am so sorry," and she leaned her forehead to his, and they sat in silence, each contemplating the meaning of the news. Draco blamed Snape for his parents' death. Dumbledore had offered him and his mother protection, but Snape had killed Dumbledore and the protection was lost. Ginny knew that Snape was Draco's godfather and that Draco had disappeared from his care after his parents were killed, because he could not bear to be around him. He only brought it up once, and she didn't blame him.

All thoughts of their earlier discomfort after their dance were forgotten.


	15. Chapter 15

Draco and Ginny sat in silence for a long time before Draco finally spoke. 

"He said that he had an unbreakable vow with my mother to protect me, and one with Dumbledore so that he would do it instead of me. He said Dumbledore told him to do it. How can he offer me protection he knows he can't give. I just wanted my mum to be okay," his eyes were glistening unnaturally, and he shook his head.

Ginny reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "No one knew what would happen. I'm sure that they never expected Voldemort to turn on them."

Draco's head snapped up and he looked in her eyes. "You said his name?" He asked is almost reverently. "You say it without fear?"

"He is crazy. You shouldn't fear him. Look at what he did to your father- probably his biggest supporter. He's got to be insane to do that. Don't fear someone like that. He'll screw up, and we'll be ready," she said with much more confidence than she felt.

Draco nodded, then almost smiled and said, "I bet he's almost as nutters as you looked in that awful pink sweater."

She punched him playfully and said, "Hey, maybe I liked that sweater." _Getting him smiling is a good thing. Just get his mind off of it, since there is nothing we can do about it._

"Do you reckon he's been working with McGonagall this whole time?" _That is definitely not a change of subject_, Ginny thought.

"I don't know. Maybe." _I may as well get some more info out of him while I can. _"Did you hear what they were saying?"

"Apparently 'they' have finished their task and want to come back."

"They? They as in Ron, Harry and Hermione?" Her stomach dropped.

"I didn't even think about that. I bet it is." He looked up at her expectantly, only to see a look of grim determination on her face. "You have me. It'll be fine if they come back. We can handle it," he said.

"Right. And we can handle Snape. Even if he decides to come back and teach- he wouldn't do that would he?"

Draco thought then said, "I doubt it. He's hailed as Dumbledore's murderer. He can't very well come out and claim innocence when he is taking credit for it on the other side."

"Thank Merlin. I lied. I don't think I could handle him teaching me. I might just chuck a few hexes at him- every other second."

Draco smiled and thought about all of the hexes that he would throw at his godfather. "Remember that one duel where Goyle grew antlers? We could give him antlers."

"And a pink sweater. With kittens and baubles."

"And he would only be able to speak in mermish. Oooh, then no one would like him."

"But think about sitting through lectures conducted in mermish. It would be as much a punishment for us as for him."

"True." And the pair sat and considered what they would do to Snape if they got a hold of him before sleepily returning to their rooms late that night.

* * *

Ginny got a late start to Sunday after being up so late, and skipped lunch to work on her homework. She finally descended from her room in time for dinner, by which time she was starving.

When she arrived in the Great Hall, she saw Draco sitting in their usual spot at the corner of the table, watching the doors expectantly. He looked relieved when he saw her, and she gave him a questioning look when she sat.

"You didn't come to lunch. I thought you were upset or something."

"No. I slept late and caught up on some essays."

"Have you not heard then?" Her looked at her concerned.

"Heard what?"

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, Ginny heard the doors to the Great Hall open loudly and turned to see who it was.

_They are back_. She groaned.

Harry led the way and Ron and Hermione followed. They walked in as if they owned the school. As if they hadn't missed most of the term. Ginny saw their puzzled faces as they took in the new table arrangement and the surprising lack of students.

She shared a significant look with Draco and turned back to her food, as did he.

She heard Neville greeting them loudly and silently thanked him for the much-needed distraction. She was really not in the mood to deal with them. She wanted to talk to Draco. Find out how he was doing.

Finally she chanced a glance up when the hall had quieted down again and saw the dark looks that Hermione and Harry were sharing while Ron glared openly at Draco.

Under her breath, Ginny said, "I think I am done here. I don't have much of an appetite anymore."

"I'll come with you."

"Okay." The pair moved to stand, but was cut off by Ron's bellow from the other end of the table.

"Where do you think you are going, you smelly git of a ferret?"

"Mr. Weasley! Mind your language," Professor McGonagall scolded loudly from the head table. Draco and Ginny continued toward the door as if they had not heard him, unable to see the piercing glare that he was giving them, but feeling the eyes follow them all the way out. Ginny instinctively turned with him to go down to the Slytherin common room.

They walked in silence, but every now and then, Draco thought he heard, "Gits," muttered under her breath as she briskly walked downstairs.

When they arrived in his common room, Ginny threw herself down on the floor in front of the fireplace and glared at the ceiling. Draco had never been one to sit on the floor when there was perfectly good furniture sitting a few feet away, but he decided to join her in front of the fire.

After a few moments, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Bloody brilliant, can't you tell?" she snapped irritably.

"Watch yourself," he replied calmly.

She rolled over to face him. "I'm sorry. I'm just so-" but she couldn't figure out exactly which emotion she was feeling. Was it hurt or anger or what?

"I know."

She scooted toward him and put her head in his lap. He began to stroke her hair affectionately.

"Why do I get so confused every time I see them?" she suddenly burst out. "I can't decide if I want to hug them or punch them."

"They were your friends, but they screwed up. You are hurt that they left you, angry that they are insensitive pricks, and happy that they are back okay. Plus one of them is your brother. It is hard to hate family…"

Ginny looked up at him. "Your father?"

He nodded, "As awful as he was, he was still the only father I had. I can't help but miss him sometimes. Though usually I miss what I remember that he was like when I was young. He didn't always use to be so heartless. It started my second year when he was cooking up ways to get rid of Potter and he came up that ridiculous Chamber of- Sorry."

She smiled gently. "You are fine. I already told you that I don't blame you for your father's actions."

"You could blame me for this, though," and he pulled back the sleeve of his right arm to show the black image of a skull and snake. Ginny gasped.

"Sorry," he muttered as he lowered his sleeve. He thought that he shouldn't have shown her. That she would hate him.

Before he could pull the sleeve over it, though, she stopped him and gingerly touched the mark.

"Does it hurt?" She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, and he wondered what he had done to deserve her.

"No, but it has been getting darker. I think he is planning something. He'll probably call everyone soon."

Ginny sat up quickly, "You are not going!"

Draco tried to smile, "Of course not. I'd be killed the instant he saw me. I am not that stupid, you know."

"You aren't stupid at all. So what will happen if you ignore it?"

"It'll hurt. It burns when he calls, but as soon as you answer it, it goes away. I don't know how long it will take for the burning to end on its own."

Ginny ran her fingers softly over the mark, and he stared at her in wonder. He saw a sparkle slip down her cheek. "Are you crying?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she replied forcefully without looking up, but the waver in her voice gave her away.

"You, Ginny Weasley, do not cry. And I am no reason for you to start." She gave out a small half-hearted laugh. "What is your full name?"

She looked up at him finally, and he brushed the single tear from her cheek. _His hands are so soft_, she thought. "Ginevra Molly Weasley."

"Ginevra? I like that. It sound so sophisticated."

"I guess. It sounds better when you say it."

He grinned cheekily, "Of course it does." All thought of his mark was gone, and he silently thanked Merlin for getting out of that territory.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him and lay back down with her head in his lap. He adjusted himself so that he could lay beside her with her head resting on his chest.

"It has been a rough few days hasn't it?" Ginny asked finally.

"It has. All the smarmiest gits of the world make their appearance within twenty-four hours of each other. Not good."

* * *

The next morning they had to attend classes with the trio all day. Ginny felt that like a fish in a tank; she was always under inspection. Ron usually had a grimace on his face and Harry a frown, though Hermione seemed to be keeping them in check, because neither had any big confrontations.

Ginny was not fond of Hermione any more than the boys, though, because she seemed so high and mighty. She had never attended a class with Hermione, but agreed that she was a good-for-nothing-know-it-all. In fact during potions, Draco knew the answer to a question before Hermione and she was actually angry. _Serves her right for skipping most of the school year._ The same happened in Charms, except Ginny had the answer and spent the rest of the day in a fit of joy over the look on Hermione's face.

Whenever they could, Draco and Ginny would sneak away from their prying eyes and breathe a sigh of relief. Being under a microscope every minute of the day was downright irritating.

When Ron saw Draco and Ginny enter dinner together, heads bowed in a whispered conversation, he stood so quickly that his chair fell over loudly and Professor McGonagall reprimanded him for disturbing the meal.

After dinner, Ginny retired to Draco's common room to study and relax before creeping up to Gryffindor tower well past curfew. As she entered, the trio sat by the fire facing the door, as if they were expecting her.

When she entered, Harry stood. "Ginny, tell us what is going on. We never got to talk about Christmas… and we want to know what is happening to you." Ron nodded fiercely.

"What is happening to me?" she repeated incredulously. "What is happening to me? What is the matter with you people? What do you think is happening to me? As if it is something out of my control…"

Ron opened his mouth, but was silenced by the look from Hermione. He gritted his teeth, but did not speak. Instead, Hermione said, "Look, we think maybe he has done something to you. Who knows what sorts of awful lies he told you to get you close to him." Hermione looked at Ginny strangely as she let out a low growl, but continued. "He has brainwashed you Ginny. You are so much better than him. Colin figures that you are dating him. Has he forced you to do anything?" Harry looked sick.

Ginny screamed. She screamed long and loud and the others looked at her as if she was mental. "We are not dating. He is my friend. He has not lied to me. Or tricked me. Or Imperiused me, for Merlin's sake! He has not forced me to do anything," she ranted. "If you all are so bloody closed-minded about everything I will not be associated with you. And if you don't think that I am capable enough of telling whether or not I am being brainwashed, then I don't think I want to anyway. I cannot believe you."

Ginny stormed toward the stairs to the girls' dormitories, but swirled around when she heard Harry speak. "Is that it then? You would rather be with him than us? We care about you Ginny. We are worried about you. All that bouncing ferret has ever cared about is how his hair looks and how quickly he can spend his daddy's gold."

Never before had the trio seen someone react so quickly in their lives. They hadn't even seen her pull out her wand, but suddenly Harry was feeling the results of at least a dozen hexes. Some were bouncing off of him and rebounding on Ron and Hermione, who shrieked and tried to pull out her wand, but it flew into the air.

"You – Will – Not – Speak – About – Draco – Like – That!" she shouted, each word punctuated by a nonverbal spell. She moved toward her stairwell, changed her mind and stormed out of the portrait hole, slamming it behind her to the immense displeasure of the fat lady.


	16. Chapter 16

Ginny moved hastily through the castle and arrived at the Slytherin common room out of breath. Draco was not in the common room, so Ginny assumed that he had gone to bed already and rushed into his dark room, stumbling over furniture and climbed into his bed where she sat huffily until she heard, in an amused voice coming from the darkness, "Is there a problem?" 

That was a mistake, because she began her rant. "They are- without a doubt- the rudest, most closed-minded, arrogant, stuck up, selfish, nosiest prats that I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!"

Draco laughed and shifted a bit to give her more room, because at present she was sitting on his leg and it was starting to hurt. Ginny nestled down into the covers and sighed loudly and irritatedly.

"What happened?" he asked. He cared more about the fact that she was so close to him when all he was wearing was a pair of boxers than what the oh-so-suave Dream Team had to say, but he pretended for her sake, especially since she hadn't seemed to have noticed his lack of clothing in the darkness of the room.

"Well naturally it was interrogation city the moment I got back. They were waiting for me! What am I five-years-old? Do I need my brother to hold my hand when I cross the street? Honestly. So the minute I get in, it is like this third degree- what's going on between you two?" She paused, _Like I could even answer that question. What is going on between us? Are we friends? Does the kiss mean that we are more than friends? Anyway. _"Where have you been? What is his mother's cousin's dog's ex-wife's name? I think I saw her on America's Most Wanted!"

"On what?"

"Just a Muggle thing my Dad watches. Anyway. You get the idea. They think that you are lying to me. That you are using me as some sort of- I don't know- sex toy." She blushed over the end of the sentence and was very grateful that he could not see her.

Draco choked in surprise. "Well that is a bit off the mark, isn't it?"

"Indeed." She harrumphed and Draco laughed.

"So you came to me to get out all of your anger? I must be pretty special," he teased.

"You are my best friend. Where else would I go?" It was now Draco's turn to blush, and he too was grateful for the lack of light.

"Right."

A few awkward moments passed, before Ginny cleared her throat and said, "Unless it would be better if I just went?" and made to move off the bed.

"No, you are fine. Come here," and he pulled her to his chest where he hugged her, having completely forgotten his lack of proper attire. "I can't send you out into the castle like this. You'll find Filch and hex him until he can't stand straight, then they'll expel you, and I'll be left here all alone."

She tried to touch as little of him as possible. _Oh Merlin, oh Merlin. He is not wearing a shirt! What on earth have I done! I burst into his room in the middle of the night, woke him up, and then jumped into his bed where he is half naked! Oh Merlin, I hope is only half-naked. He must think me some kind of hussy. This is humiliating._

"Speaking of hexing people," she said finally, "I think Harry may spend the next week- or three- in the hospital wing trying to recover from everything I set at him. He said that they cared about me more than you do," she added in explanation.

Draco shot straight up, "Like hell they do!" he shouted. Then realizing with what enthusiasm he had just proclaimed his care for Ginny, he calmed and relaxed into the bed, pulling her toward him again. She lost her balance and braced her hand against his chest to keet from falling on top of him. Draco was suddenly very aware of his lack of clothing and let go of her quickly.

"Oh, um. Sorry." Ginny could practically hear the blood rushing into his face. _He is the most adorable guy I have ever met! _She made a bold move and snuggled up to him. _I guess we are about to find out if he likes me as more than a friend_, she thought.

Draco's breath caught in his throat as he felt her move closer and nuzzle up against his chest. His eyes widened, and he had absolutely no idea what to do. He normally prided himself on his ability with the ladies, but right now it was completely and utterly failing him. He sensed how tight his whole body had become and tried to relax into his bed. He tried to find a comfortable place to put the arm that was under her neck, but the only place was around her waist. His heart was racing, and he was sure that she was going to laugh at him at any moment.

It was quite the opposite, though, not five minutes had passed and her breathing slowed and deepened as she fell asleep. He thought how completely awkward, and yet amazing, it was to have her sleeping in his arms in his bed, and finally drifted off to sleep as well.

He woke up earlier than usual the next morning and was a bit disoriented. Before he opened his eyes he tried to figure out what was pinning down his arm and he found a handful of hair. He opened his eyes; shining red hair had assaulted him. Then he saw her small face buried beneath all the hair and brushed it out of the way so that he could see her better. At his touch, she made a noise and rubbed her face into his bare chest. He tried to restrain a chuckle, but it tickled, and the shaking of his chest woke her.

"Oh Merlin. I am so sorry, Draco. What have I done? You must think me a fool. I'm sorry," she repeated trying to disentangle her legs from his and the blankets.

"You are fine, Ginny. I didn't mind. You needed refuge and you came to me. I'm flattered really. If I had been wearing clothes it would have been a little less awkward," he smirked at her.

_Oh Merlin, he is naked. _Ginny blanched and averted her eyes while trying to remove herself from the bed.

Draco must have realized what he had said, because he quickly added, "I am wearing boxers. I'm not completely-." It was now Draco's turn to avert his eyes as his face turned so gloriously red that Ginny thought she had never seen a tomato so bright. Something about the two of them waking up together and talking about being- without clothes- was very awkward indeed.

"Right. Well, I should go. Get some clothes. To change I mean." She backed awkwardly out of the room stammering over her words and running into the doorframe.

As soon as he was out of her sight, she ran for it. She ran all the way to Gryffindor tower and jumped over the figure of her brother that was sleeping on the floor at the foot of her stairs. No doubt he had been waiting up for her. She laughed out loud at the thought of how angry he would be when he woke up.

She went straight for a shower to refresh herself. _Maybe I can wash away all of this humiliation._

When she got out of the bathroom, she found Hermione sitting at the foot of her bed waiting for her. "Not now, Hermione."

"Ginny, I just want to know what is going on. Did you go back to him last night?"

"Yes, Hermione, I went back to the sex god who is using me to address his fantasies. I slept with him all night and he was completely stark naked." _Almost_, she thought to herself. By now she was a little more amused by the situation, and the look on Hermione's face added to her growing urge to laugh. So she did. She laughed so hard that she fell to the ground and stayed there for a few minutes before trying to regain her composure.

"Ginny?" she finally heard a timid, concerned voice break through her laughter, which stopped immediately.

"Hermione, do you think I am a nutter?"

"No."

"Do you think I am an idiot?"

"No."

"Am I capable of taking care of myself?"

"Well, I mean-"

Ginny cleared her throat and asked louder, "I repeat, am I capable of taking care of myself?"

"Yes."

"Then you should trust me. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you think about him or me. Especially after you all just left me like you did. You have no right to critique my choices," and with that, she grabbed her book bag and made her way to the Great Hall, again stepping over Ron's prone figure.

To say that the next few days between Draco and Ginny were awkward would be an understatement. As would it be to say that Ron was a tad angry about her being out all night. She and Draco avoided any topic of conversation that would lead to a discussion about that night, as well as any discussion of the kiss. Neither knew how the other felt, and neither felt the need to endanger their friendship by bringing it up.

Such avoidance often ended up with strange looks from outsiders such as when Luna asked Ginny if it was true that she had attacked Harry and forced him to grow antlers and wear a magenta sweater, among other maladies including a long, green beard. Ginny had avoided discussion because that night ended in Draco's bed by muttering something about prancing hippogriffs in the field that she had to tame and teach to tango.

When Harry finally reemerged from the hospital wing almost two weeks later, there was an unspoken agreement between the groups. Neither would acknowledge the others' existence unless absolutely necessary. This ended up in situations such as Ron needing the powdered root of asphodel that Draco and Ginny were using, so he politely asked Professor Slughorn to pass him the powdered root of asphodel on the empty table at the front. Slughorn was so confused that he looked stupidly around for an empty table until Draco handed it to him to give to Ron.

Indeed this unspoken avoidance of the others was so great that when Hermione appeared at the picnic that Draco and Ginny had arranged for the first day of spring under their tree, that they were caught quite off-guard and without any witty banter.

She got straight to the point. "I expect you have an idea of what we were doing all last semester." Draco looked at her as if she was mental, which he quite suspected she was after coming to inquire about that of all things after a prolonged avoidance. Ginny nodded curtly but curiously. "Right. Well, we finished that part of what we had to do. All that is left is You-Know- oh alright, Voldemort. Harry found out that he is planning something big. We don't know what it will be or when it is going to happen, but the time is drawing closer. I want you to be prepared. Think about your part in the final battle. I hope that you will stay away from it, but I think I know you better than that. Just think about it, and prepare yourself. It could be next month or next week. Hopefully we will have enough time to prepare."

Ginny could see that Hermione was visibly shaking and trying very hard to hold her calm. She figured that in the face of such an event, a childish argument should not prevent her reply. "Thank you, Hermione." Hermione nodded and turned back to the castle wringing her hands.

"Well I could have told you that with this bloody thing getting darker everyday," Draco said sarcastically motioning to his arm.

"She was trying to be nice, Draco. I think that was her way of apologizing."

"Or warning you that I might go running back to the Dark Lord any day now. Then smite you on the battlefield."

Ginny looked at him in horror, "First of all don't call him that, and second of all, don't say that. You know as well as I that it is a load of tosh, so don't even joke about it."

Taking in her serious expression, he said, "Sorry, but somehow I think that their concern lies only in you. I am the bad guy, remember?"

"Draco, stop it," she said firmly, "What is this really about? Certainly not about what they think of you. I know you don't care about that."

He looked down and mumbled something at the ground.

"Speak up, Draco."

"You're not going out there. You are not going to fight."

"I'm not, am I?" she asked, fury in her eyes. "And why, pray tell is that? Am I too weak? Am I so incapable of caring for myself?"

He tried to cut her off but she continued on her rant until his half shouted, "Ginevra!" She looked at him blankly. "I do not think that, and you know it. I care about you, and I think it is a ruddy waste of a beautiful girl to run out and fight with bloody Saint Potter against- Voldemort." He faltered at the end, but otherwise did beautifully. _He thinks I am beautiful_? Ginny asked herself.

"Well what are you planning on doing? You can't very well run about in the middle of a battle while I stay behind with the poor women and children."

He made to contest, but she gave him a look that did not harbor any room for negotiation. "If keeping myself away from the battle is what it will take to keep you away, then I'll stay with you."

Ginny's eyes widened. She had hardly had to fight him for it. Usually there is a battle of wills and strength and teeth before someone agrees with something like that with her. She looked at him wide-eyed, and he couldn't help but notice that when she was surprised she looked so jaw-dropping amazing that he wished he could do it every moment of the day for the rest of his life.

"However, I will not just sit aside knitting sweaters for the battle heroes. I have to do something useful."

"We could stay with the injured. They could send the injured to us. And we could heal them."

Draco stopped and stared at her. "Ginny, that is amazing. You are amazing! I'll do that. You'll be out of harm's way, and we'll finally get to use all of that training on a useful cause." He was grinning ear to ear, and Ginny couldn't help but follow suit. His smile was infectious. _And just think_, she thought_, this time last year I had no idea that he could smile. And he would think that healing the likes of Potter and the good guys was an awful idea._

"On the down side of this whole situation though, this whole battle could happen any time. How will we know when it is going to happen?" Ginny asked

"Well, before anything happens, he'll have to call in the troops," he said sarcastically nodding toward his arm.

At that moment, Draco's face screwed up in pain, and he grabbed his arm.

"Draco? Draco what is wrong? Is he- Oh Merlin, is he calling you?" Draco didn't answer. He had buried his face into his shoulder trying to block out the pain and trying not to let Ginny see how weak he felt.

She rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around him. "Hold my hands. Squeeze my hand, it'll help." He looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot, and she cried out. "Just take my hands, Draco!" He did, and she drew herself up at close as she could to him and tried to make soothing noises for him as he slowly crushed her hands in his.


	17. Chapter 17

Over an hour after Draco's mark began to burn, it suddenly stopped. His hands unclenched from Ginny's, but he made no move to sit up or look at her, so she kept holding him in silence. 

Finally, she asked tentatively, "Draco, are you alright?"

Without looking up, he said, "I'm fine. You should go inside."

"No, I'll stay with you. Unless you want to go inside."

"No, leave me alone," he replied coldly.

"Draco? What's-"

"Leave me alone, Ginny."

Ginny stared at him for a few moments before standing and walking back toward the castle. When she got about halfway, she turned and looked back to see that he had slumped onto the ground. _What the ruddy hell is going on?_ she wondered angrily. When she got to the entrance hall, she wasn't sure where she should go. She thought about going to Draco's common room, but there was something wrong with him, and she figured that he needed time to sort it out, so she moved toward Gryffindor Tower.

When she entered, she saw Harry and Ron in a corner playing Wizard's Chess while Hermione watched and read, so she plopped down in a chair directly in front of the fire. She sat and stared at the fire, unaware of the looks that were passing between the three behind her.

Ginny didn't notice that they had approached her until Harry cleared his throat from her side.

She jumped. "Oh Merlin, Harry, you scared me half to death."

He looked at her sheepishly, "Sorry."

Ginny looked around and caught the worried eyes of her brother and Hermione standing just behind him. She sighed, but did not have the energy to do much else.

"Ginny? Are you okay? We're really worried about you."

"I'm fine, Harry," she said looking down at her very sore, very red hands that Draco just spent the last hour crushing only to cruelly send her away without so much as an explanation for what she had just witnessed.

Harry reached out to touch her hand when he saw where she was looking, and she winced and pulled it back.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I am fine."

Harry sat back, and Ron stepped forward. "Gin, I know what Hermione talked to you about this afternoon. No one can be fine with that. Did you, I don't know, hit something in frustration? Your hands look bad. You should probably go up to the hospital wing."

Ginny let out a small laugh and shook her head, "I didn't hit anything," though at the moment she pondered hitting Draco for reverting to his old, Malfoy self at a very inconvenient time. She fingered her bracelet.

"Did- Did _he_ do this to you?" Ron asked quietly.

"He?"

"Malfoy."

"Oh honestly, don't call him that. He has a name." The word had struck a chord, because that was how he was acting. Like Malfoy. And not at all like Draco.

Ron seemed to have notice that she didn't deny it, and his eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you? Hermione said that he didn't look like he was taking the news very well."

"Oh, like you would. Your ex-dark master is on the loose trying to kill you and half the population of the world. Now that is a pleasant topic. I'm surprised he didn't- jump for joy- or something," she finished lamely.

"But he cannot hurt you! I knew he would hurt you! I knew this was trouble from the start!" but he stopped his rant as Hermione laid a hand on his arm. As he looked at her, his eyes softened, then returned to Ginny.

"He didn't hurt me, Ron," she said resignedly. "I hurt myself, really." _I forced him to take my hands. I yelled at him to do it actually, so it is my fault. But he was in pain. He looked like he was in so much pain. I've never seen him like that. It was like he was- broken._ At this, tears began to form.

Hermione stepped forward now. "Ginny, just tell us what happened."

As Ginny looked up, a tear escape from her eye, and she saw the look of horror on Harry and Ron's faces.

Harry leaned close to her. "Ginny, tell me what happened. I need to know what just happened," and Ginny let go of more tears.

Ron kneeled in front of her, his wide eyes pleading. Finally, Ginny said, "It was his mark."

"He's marked?" Ron asked quietly.

"You know that," she replied simply.

"What does that have to do with your hands?"

"He was holding them."

Ron's brow furrowed and he looked at her. "Looks more like he was crushing them than holding them. Why was he holding your hands anyway?"

"Because we're friends Ron. And it's not his fault he was crushing them. I'm sure you would've done the same."

Harry jumped in. "I'm confused, Ginny. Why would we crush your hands?"

"His mark-"

"Yes, he has a mark."

"-was burning."

"It was- Oh Merlin." Harry fell back into his seat again, and Ron looked from Harry to Ginny and back.

"Wait, does that mean- What does that mean?"

Before Harry could speak, she said, "He is calling them. Draco cannot go. He won't. But it- it hurts him," and another flow of tears escaped her red eyes.

Harry moved to put his arm around her, but she frowned at him, so he stood and motioned for Ron to sit. Ron sat and put his arm around her awkwardly, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Above her, Ginny heard Ron whisper, "Does that mean that- it's coming? Does that mean it is almost time?"

Ginny sniffed, and again answered before Harry. "Draco said that he'll call them well before its time. So that they can regroup and plan. His mark has been getting darker for months."

"And you spent time with the prat, knowing full well that Voldemort was about to call him and his little Death Eater friends."

Her eyes narrowed, "Don't do this to me right now, Ron. He ignored the call. They aren't his _friends_, as you put it. Friends don't murder your family. He is not one of them anymore than I am."

"But, Ginny, it is unsafe. I don't want you to-"

"Ron, please," she said firmly and pleadingly.

"Ron," Hermione said. When he looked up, she shook her head, and he frowned but nodded.

"So he's not with them?"

"No," Ginny replied looking gratefully at Hermione, who gave her a small half-smile.

"Okay."

After some time, they hurried Ginny up to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey gave her a cream that removed the redness and soreness from her hands. She went to dinner shortly after and waited for Draco, but he didn't show up. She went to their spot in the library, and he didn't show up. When she couldn't sleep that night, she went to the Astronomy Tower, and he didn't show up.

Classes the next morning were awful for Ginny. He avoided her attempts to catch his attention, and had already partnered up with someone when she got to potions. By the end of the day, Ginny was in a really bad place. She couldn't decide if she was sad or angry, and decided that it was probably a bit of both. She retired to her room early under the watchful eye of her brother, who was very concerned with her behavior.

The rest of the week passed in similar fashion. Draco ignoring her, and Ginny trying really hard to pretend that she didn't care. But how could she not care. She hadn't spent this much time away from him in ages. Over Christmas, he had at least written her. She was really upset. She was constantly on the verge of tears, then in her head he would say, "You don't cry, Ginny. So don't cry over me," and then she would.

He skipped meals and was rarely out of his common room, it would seem. She couldn't understand what was going on. She knew it had to do with the afternoon that his mark burned, but she didn't understand what had happened. She had been there for him. She had tried to help him.

The following Monday, Draco arrived late to potions, and the only available spot was his regular seat next to Ginny. Ginny closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath as she felt him settling into the seat next to him. After Slughorn put up the instructions for the day's lesson, they worked in silence.

After Ginny chopped the mandrake root, she turned to hand it to Draco, and saw that his eyes looked weary. He had bags under his eyes, but they looked at her coldly. As if they couldn't see her. She handed him the roots and looked away drawing a shaky breath. He visibly tensed next to her. She tried to ignore him, so that he wouldn't see how her eyes were sparkling, but finally she looked over and saw that his face had gone white and he was clutching his arm.

_Oh Merlin, this is not happening! In class! What am I going to do? I have to get him out of here. He wouldn't want anyone to know._ She raised her hand quickly, "Excuse me, Professor Slughorn, I think that Draco is not feeling well. May I escort him to the hospital wing?"

He took one look at Draco then quickly agreed. Ginny grabbed his other arm and whispered, "Lean on me, let's get you out of here." He looked at her fleetingly, then ducked his head.

Ginny sighed and struggled to support him out of the room, as he had hardly enough strength to stand, let alone walk. She had no intention of taking him to the hospital wing, so she took him to his common room and laid him down on the couch.

When he was reclining, he growled. "Leave me."

"No," Ginny said firmly, and he looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with you? Just let me help you!"

He repeated lower and colder, "Leave me."

"No," she cried out. "Draco, don't do this to me! I can help you. I want to help you. Let me stay," she pleaded, and he rolled over facing away from her.

Ginny crumpled to the ground and let out the sobs that had threatened to break through her escapee tears all week. She was hunched on the ground sobbing loudly for what seemed like ages while Draco tried to overcome the shooting pain in his arm. Finally, his pain subsided, but was replaced by another. A pain in his heart at the sound of the sobs that he knew he had caused.

"Why didn't you just leave?" he asked calmly, regretting it as soon as he asked it.

"Because, _Draco_, I care about you. I want to help you. I cannot bear to see you like this. And you are pushing me away! I don't understand it! What have I done?" her voice escalated until she finished at a shout.

He shrunk back then said quietly, "You don't need to see me like this. You shouldn't see me when I am weak. When I am worthless. I should be protecting you, not the other way around. It's my own stupid fault for getting this blasted thing. I don't deserve you, so you should just go and find someone stronger and better. Go back to Potter, I'm sure he still loves you."

"Draco? What are you talking about? I don't want Harry. I want you. And you don't have to protect me. I can take care of myself, and I'd like to be able to help you when you need it. That doesn't make you weak- needing someone. It makes you human. Draco, you can't just block me out like that. I wont go away so easily."

His bloodshot eyes met hers, and he felt tears forming. Angrily he rubbed his eyes. "I do have to be strong. What good am I for you if I am going to go into hysterics every time that I am in pain? I am too weak to be with you if I can't even handle a mark on my arm."

Ginny let out a frustrated sound and cried, "A dark mark, Draco. Voldemort's mark. That does not make you weak! The only reason it hurts is that you are not answering it. That makes you strong. How can you not see this? It doesn't matter to me if you feel pain or sadness. It makes you human," she repeated.

"You deserve better than that."

"Oh, Draco, just shut up." He looked taken aback. "You are not one to tell me what I deserve, but if either of us is undeserving, it is me. You have been wonderful to me all year. You are always there when I need you, and you always make it better. You have shown such strength and growth over this last year that I didn't even know was possible. You helped me grieve when you had your own grieving to do. If anyone is undeserving, it is me," and she broke down into sobs again.

Draco's heart constricted painfully at the sight of the little redhead sobbing on the carpet in front of his fire. He fell to the ground and wrapped his arms around her.

"Ginny? Ginny, I am sorry. I can't do this to you, you're right. I've been horrible this last week. If it makes you feel any better, I was as miserable as you were. I don't know what came over me. I just didn't want you to see me weak. I didn't want you to leave me."

"What so you thought you'd leave me and save me the trouble?"

"I guess," he replied quietly.

"Don't you do that ever again!" she scolded lightly. "You will not leave me, and I will not leave you. You are my best friend, and we are going to get through this together."

Draco nodded. "But for now, you need to go back to class." Ginny snorted and looked at him incredulously. "You have to, otherwise we wont get marks for this potion and bloody Granger will beat us. We can't have that."

Ginny shook her head at him and smiled. "You are ridiculous, you know."

"I know. I just can't stand to see her gloating over her superior marks."

"I'll go then."

"Thanks," and he walked her to his portrait hole. "I am going to stay here and rest for the rest of afternoon."

"Good idea," she murmured, noticing the look in his eyes.

As she turned to leave, Draco grabber her hand and spun her around. He leaned in quickly and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Thank you, Ginny. For being my friend."

Ginny nodded absently and hurried toward class, her hand on her lips, and a slight smile on her face.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Draco missed all of his meals, and Ginny planned on raiding the kitchen to bring him some dinner, but first she wanted to speak to Harry.

"Harry, I need to talk to you," she said as the trio sat by the fire studying.

"Okay. What is it?" he asked, a quizzical look on his face.

"Umm, Draco's mark. I need something for the pain. I wondered if you knew of anything."

Harry looked at her with a pained expression on his face. "Is that what happened in potions today?"

"Yes, and I need something to give him. He feels so vulnerable, and he can't handle it. I don't think that emotion was built into the Malfoy genes."

Harry forced a smile and a nod. "Well I am not really sure. I've never had to- you know."

"I know, Harry, but please. You have to help me. I can't stand to see him like this."

It was a true testament to his feelings for Ginny that Harry did not flat out deny that knew of anything that would help his enemy. Instead he went to Hermione, and asked her something quietly before returning.

"Try Murtlap's Essence. I used it on those cuts from Umbridge. Hermione reckons it might help."

She hugged him quickly and said, "Thank you, Harry!" before rushing off. First she snuck into the hospital wing and grabbed the Murtlap's Essence. Since she was an apprentice, she knew where everything was and probably didn't have to sneak, but wanted to avoid questions. She too, had thought of Murtlap's Essence, but wanted a second opinion. Then she rushed down to the kitchens and loaded up a basket of every food she could think of.

She finally burst through the portrait hole of the Slytherin common room to see him reclining half-asleep on the sofa. _He looks positively divine when he is sleepy_. At her noisy entrance, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Ginny held out her arms, "Picnic time!" and began to lay out the spread in front of the fire.


	18. Chapter 18

The next month flew by in a blaze of revision, apprenticeships, post-Hogwarts applications, and worry. The impending battle loomed over everyone, and Ginny was surrounded by the worry for Draco's more frequent mark burns and Harry's death plotting. 

Draco knew it was almost time, but did not have the heart to tell Ginny, though he was sure that she knew. He had even confronted Harry to tell him of the increased Death Eater activity, at which Harry was pleasantly surprised to find that he was trying to help.

Harry had met with the Order in the Headmistress' office and had invited Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and even Draco to attend. Here, Ginny and Draco had explained their interest in running a hospital of sorts for the injured as close to the battle as safe. Madam Pomfrey had doubled her effort with them so that they might be better prepared.

The big question was whether or not the battle would come before term ended. All signs were pointing toward the end happening at any moment, but would they wait until everyone was scattered, or while there was still a center of activity at Hogwarts. The answer came the evening after NEWTS examinations finished and with a week before students would depart from the castle.

Draco and Ginny sat under their tree by the lake, reclining and basking in the fact that they had officially finished their schooling experience. Both felt that they had done exceedingly well on the examinations, but there was not the enthusiasm that would normally accompany that accomplishment.

Neither would admit that they were scared. They were scared of the coming battle and of separation from each other. They were scared about having to go out into the world and carry the burden of responsibility. Neither wanted to admit to the other that they didn't feel ready to run out and go into Healer training and live in a little flat on their own.

As they sat in silence watching the sun move further down into the mountains as the sky turned brilliant shades of orange and red, they felt something looming over them. And suddenly everything changed.

Draco's mark began to burn. He cried out. Ginny rushed to his side with the Murtlap's Essence that she never went anywhere without. She administered some, which took the edge off of the pain, but did little else to quell the burning.

Draco's eyes widened. "Ginny," he rasped out. "Ginny!"

"Draco, I'm here. It's okay."

"It isn't. This is it. I know it. I can feel it. It's going to happen tonight!"

Ginny stared at him.

"Ginny!" She came to her senses as she saw her brother running across the lawn toward her. "Ginny, you have to get back up to the castle!"

"Help me!" she cried, "I need help with Draco," she added when Ron arrived, his expression frantic.

"Is it his-"

"Yes, I need your help."

Draco's eyes had rolled up into his head, and he had all but passed out into Ginny's lap during the commotion. He had never reacted to the mark like this before, and Ginny knew he was right.

As she and Ron moved as quickly as they could with a limp Draco between them, Ginny said, "Tell me."

Ron of course, knew of what she was speaking. "It's happening tonight."

"That is what Draco said before it got really bad. Why do you suppose it's affecting him like this?" she glanced worriedly down at Draco's face, which was covered in beads of sweat and his teeth clenched.

"I don't know. He's making sure everyone rallies maybe? Snape just reported to McGonagall. It is happening. Here."

"Here?" Ginny shrieked and almost lost her grip of Draco. They were making their way up to the hospital wing now. "I thought you anticipated an attack on the ministry or something. They are coming straight to Harry?"

"And the Order. They know that they have to get to Harry and the Order otherwise it doesn't matter what else they do. So they are coming here first."

They finally arrived and placed Draco in a cot near the window. Ginny busied herself finding a more powerful pain relief for Draco, and rubbed it onto his arm, hoping it would work. Ron stood silently in the doorway watching as Ginny tended to him with tenderness and care.

Finally, Ron said, "I've got to go back to Harry. You two need to stay here. I think McGonagall is going to send the other students up here and ward it. Hopefully we can keep them out on the grounds. We'll send any injured up here… and yeah."

Ron looked tired and aged, but showed great determination, and Ginny smiled at how much her brother had grown. She rushed over and hugged him tightly before saying, "You be careful, okay. All of you." Ron nodded and left.

Ginny turned back to Draco who let out a moan. _Oh thank Merlin, he's awake!_ She rushed to his side and kneeled beside his cot. "Come on, Draco," she urged, swabbing his forehead with a cloth. She noted that the darkness was fading from his arm, and she sighed in relief. It would be over soon, and he could be better.

"Ginny?" he asked finally.

"I'm here. Is the pain gone yet?"

"Almost. I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. It was stronger than usual."

"I know. It's okay. Take some of this, it will help," and she handed him a Pepper-Up Potion. Moments later the flush returned to his skin, and he sat up.

"I'm ready. Tell me what is happening."

Before Ginny got a chance to explain, however, Professor McGonagall herded in the students. "Okay everyone. I want you all to stay in here. The rest of the castle is out of bounds no matter what you hear happening. We'll be sending up the injured, so make sure that you stay out of the way. Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy will be working with Madam Pomfrey. Any others who want to help, let them know. I'm sure they can find something for you to do. Know this. I am putting up a ward on this wing. A Fidelius Charm of sorts. If you leave, you won't be able to just return. You'll have to be sent back by one of the members in charge of the injured. I don't speak lightly when I command you not to leave."

There was silence, and McGonagall looked around, locking eyes with Ginny briefly before sweeping out of the room. Mass chaos began as soon as she left. Younger students began crying and older students shouted. Some people were begging to be let out to owl their parents. Some people were demanding to be let out into the fight. The DA members were adamant about joining the fight, and Ginny couldn't blame them. If it wasn't for Draco, she would be out there also. Madam Pomfrey had not yet shown up, and Draco was guarding the doors. Finally he conceded and let out Neville, Susan, Ernie, Luna, Dennis and Colin.

Finally, Draco shouted, "Everyone listen up. You are here for your safety, and you need to keep quiet. I understand that you are worried. We all are. You need to be calm. You need to breathe. You need to take a seat." Apparently this worked, and the room quieted.

Draco moved to Ginny who was standing by the window. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked.

"I'm just worried. Most of my family will be out there. It seems so weird that we've spent all of this time worried about when this would happen, but now that it's here I feel numb. It all feels so unreal. Is it real, Draco?"

He turned and hugged her, "Unfortunately, it is. You'll be okay, though. You've got me. We just need to keep focused and keep our heads clear. Everything will be fine, I promise."

As he said it, though, a coldness spread through the room, and Ginny felt her heart sink. In the darkness, she couldn't see them, but she could feel them approaching- Dementors. Ginny pulled away from him, her face set in determination. "First order of business, chocolate."

Almost an hour later, the occupants of the hospital wing heard the first sounds of the battle. Draco had rushed to the window and seen the colored lights of spells flying back and forth on the grounds below, illuminating the scene in an eerie light. He and Ginny stood there, watching the battle from hundred of feet above it, surrounded by young students silently munching chocolate and holding back their fear and tears.

When the first injured arrived, the crack that brought them made several of the younger students screech in fright. He was bloody and unconscious. Ginny began to clear off the blood and heal his wounds one at a time.

Each crack that resounded over the next few hours was always accompanied by a feeling of dread. The first person that they had recognized to be sent in was Colin Creevey. His arms and legs were broken, and Draco thought it very fortunate that he was unconscious. After this, though, each crack brought fear of who it would be and how bad the injury would be.

There were several really bad cases that Madam Pomfrey removed to a back corner of the room separated by a large white curtain. One of these had been Ginny's brother, George. When she saw his face, Ginny cried out and ran to him, but Madam Pomfrey quickly ushered him away. Draco had calmed her, and she returned to her healing efforts numb and in disbelief. Madam Pomfrey had come out a few moments later to tell her that he would be fine and not to worry.

Several people had come in with visible werewolf damage, and Ginny wondered why she had not realized that it was the full moon sooner. She wondered where Professor Lupin was, but her silent inquiry was cut off by the arrival of more patients.

After what seemed like hours, the numbers that trickled in were fewer and fewer. Finally Draco and Ginny had retaken their seat by the window to watch the lights below. Ginny wondered if Harry had fought Voldemort yet. She wondered when it would all end.

Suddenly Draco let out an unearthly scream and fell to the floor. "Draco? Draco! Draco, what it happening?" Ginny frantically shook the prone boy who had fallen to the floor after his scream. His body was twitching and his heart beat wild. Madam Pomfrey had come out from behind the curtain.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"He- I don't know- just screamed and passed out. He's- I don't know," Ginny responded, tears flowing down her cheeks. Madam Pomfrey made to remove the boy from her arms, but Ginny refused to let go of his hand and followed as Madam Pomfrey moved him to the nearest unoccupied bed.

"What's the matter with him? What happened? Draco! Wake up!"

"Miss Weasley, you need to stop that. It is not helping," she stated as she pulled off his shirt. Ginny gasped when she saw him arm.

"Oh Merlin. Oh Draco!" and she threw herself across his chest as Madam Pomfrey shouted "Really, Miss Weasley," but without any real conviction as she stared at the raw skin on Draco's forearm. His mark was gone.

Ginny knew that something had happened below. She knew that Harry had killed Voldemort. His mark had burned off, but she could not celebrate. She needed Draco. He was not supposed to pass out. Nothing could happen to him, because she couldn't stand it. She climbed beside him in his bed and sobbed as Madam Pomfrey dealt with the incoming people.

If Ginny had not been so wrapped up in Draco, she would have heard Ron and Hermione enter. She would have heard Hermione's grief as she and Ron's mild wounds were mended. She would have heard what had happened to Harry. He had won. But he had also lost. In an instant, both had perished. Harry had known that it might happen. He had a connection with Voldemort and knew that by killing Voldemort, something could happen to him, but he also knew that it had to be done.

She would have heard Fred rush into the room in search of his twin. She would have heard him crying about what had happened to Charlie. Bellatrix Lestrange had thrown a killing curse at Mrs. Weasley and Charlie had jumped in front of it. She would have heard that Mrs. Weasley was distraught and sobbing her eyes out on her injured husband trying to go back to Charlie, because she couldn't leave him.

She would have heard the sobs of Colin Creevey as he learned the fate of his brother. Dennis and Ernie had been cornered by Antonin Dolohov and several other Death Eaters and taken them all out, but someone had snuck up on them just as they got rid of the last one and used the Cruciatus curse on them until neither had any life within them.

She would have heard the fate of countless other order members, Mad-Eye Moody and McGonagall included, who would not see the next day dawn without the threat of Voldemort.

But Ginny did not hear anything as she lay curled up with an unconscious Draco for the second time that day. His breathing and heart rate were erratic. She worried that Voldemort had somehow tied them to him and that when he died, so would they. She worried that he would not wake up. She could not understand why their triumph had to hurt him. He had worked for the good side, why should he be punished with the bad?

She did not see the hushed and anguished conversation between Ron and Hermione in the corner. If she had, she would have been overjoyed when she saw him pull her to him and kiss her. She would have been so happy that they had finally seen through all of the bickering to their true feelings in the face of such a tragedy.

She did not notice when her mother finally arrived with the rest of her family to see George, nor did she pay any heed when they urged her to get up and go with them. Her mother had cried over her, but she could not leave him.

She did not notice that when dawn came, her ex-Professor rushed into the hospital looking frantically for a young, pink-haired witch, or that when he found her he was so overcome with emotion that he pulled out a box and put a ring on her finger.

Ginny lay no longer crying, but awake and numb at Draco's side. Unspeaking. Just waiting for him to come back to her. His body was cold, and she wrapped herself around him, trying to warm him. Madam Pomfrey had brought several blankets for them, and urged Ginny to eat. She was ignored. She tucked the blankets around the pair and left the food on the table beside the bed.

Around her, the beds cleared out. People healed and went home. All in a hushed memorial of those they had lost. Three days passed and even the most severe cases had been released to their homes. Draco had not moved, so neither had Ginny. Ron came to speak to her, to convince her to eat, but she wouldn't move. She wouldn't listen to him. He saw that she loved Draco and could not do it without him, and he understood, because he could not get through a moment of the day if he did not have Hermione. Ron told her that the memorial was that afternoon. That they were having a service for Harry and the others who lost their lives. She didn't even blink. She couldn't understand the words coming out of his mouth, but she didn't care.

She lay in numb silence as on the grounds below, hundreds of people gathered in reverent silence for the losses. Not even the birds were chirping. There was just silence.

And then, there wasn't.

There was a moan. And a grunt. And then, "Ginny?" in a deathly silent, raspy voice.

Ginny's eyes widened and she sat up and saw Draco's half-opened silver eyes. She didn't hug him or move, but began sobbing again. She sat and looked into his hooded eyes and sobbed. He lifted a hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, and she threw herself on top of him, hugging him with a ferocity as if she expected that she would never again be able to. His arms wrapped around her, and he stared at her flaming red hair draped across his pale, bare shoulder. He did not say anything, and neither did she, but they both knew relief.

When Madam Pomfrey returned from the memorial, she saw that Ginny was laying on top of Draco, and gasped and moved to pull her off, only to be stopped by Draco's voice, "Let her sleep." It was so quiet that she thought she had imagined it, but she saw that his eyes were open, and she let the child sleep who had not in three days as she lay waiting for him.

Now, as she slept, it was his turn to wait for her. He lay in silence as her small body warmed him, and her breath tickled his neck. He thought about how he had almost lost her. He thought about his fight for consciousness as he felt her presence at her side, unable to tell her that he was there. Unable to tell her to wait for him, that he loved her. But she had waited, and so would he. He would wait until she awoke and then he would tell her what he had figured out. He would not waste a moment longer because he had almost missed his chance once and it would not happen again.


	19. Chapter 19

Ginny awoke with the strange feeling of being watched. She opened her eyes and saw the hospital wing, and it took her a few moments to realize what was going on. 

"Draco!" she shouted all of a sudden.

"Ouch, I'm here, woman. Bloody hell." She pulled back and saw him smirking at her. She knew he was okay if he was smirking at her.

She pulled herself off of him and helped him to sit up. "Are you okay? How is-" she touched his arm.

He frowned down at it. "Feels like someone shoved my arm into a fire, but it's alright. It's a lot better than it was."

"I am so happy that you are okay. I was so worried about you," she said quietly.

"So I've heard. I also heard you went a little anti-food on me, and as it has now been four days since you last ate anything, I think you should eat. I don't like skinny little midgets, and I'd hate to get rid of you because you starved yourself for me." He pushed the tray on the bedside table toward her, and she consented to nibble on a sandwich.

"If you can mock me, then you must be feeling much better, I mean honestly, here I was showering you with affection, thinking I was going to die if you did, and then you mock me."

"As I heard it, you didn't shower much of anything, you just turned zombie. And if you died because of me, then I'd have to – kill you? That doesn't really work, but you get my point."

Ginny frowned and looked down at her bracelet. The words had all but vanished because she had been rubbing it so frequently. She didn't even know that she did it.

"Ahh, and now you've and ruined a perfectly nice bracelet. Rubbing off my little signature. Well maybe you just don't want to be my friend anymore?" he teased.

Ginny looked up at him, her eyes serious. "I really thought that I was going to lose you. I don't know how I could have made it through the day if something had happened to you."

Draco's eyes softened, "I couldn't leave you, you know that. I think you know that. Do you know that?" she nodded. "Right, well I couldn't. I'll tell you what though, something was trying damn hard to get rid of me, but I felt you beside me. I heard your sobs, and I knew that I couldn't leave you, not like that."

Ginny looked up at him, her eyes glistening.

"Oh, now please don't start that again. I don't think I could handle that. Every time you do that my heart breaks, and I just don't think I can take anymore."

"I'm sorry," she sniffled.

"Don't be sorry. I'm just being- dramatic. I can't bear to see you unhappy. I just want you to be happy."

"And that is all I want for you. Now that it is over, what will you do? What do you need to be happy?"

Draco looked up at her seriously, "You." Ginny blinked. "I need you. I've needed you for months now. You are all that I have and all that I want. I couldn't leave without telling you that. I want to be with you always. I want to-" but he was cut off by her lips crashing onto his.

All of the emotions and passions that had built up during their months of friendship poured into the kiss. Every ounce of happiness that he had given to her, every bit of feeling that she had restored to his life. All of the pent up emotion from their two very brief and unspoken kisses. They kissed and held each other until they collapsed into each other's arms.

"I love you, Ginevra Molly Weasley."

Ginny let out a blindingly happy smile, "I love you too, Draco I-Don't-Know-Your-Middle-Name Malfoy."

"It's embarrassing, I'll never tell." Ginny leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and when she pulled back she saw him grinning goofily.

"Now don't you just look ridiculously happy about something?"

"I can't imagine what."

They sat in blissful conversation for almost an hour before reality crashed in. Madam Pomfrey returned and saw them both awake, so she forced several potions upon each of them. She insisted that Ginny see her mother who had been worried sick. Neither knew of the losses from the battle, but soon found out as Mrs. Weasley entered with a fresh batch of tears.

They learned the fate of their school friends who had gone out into the fight. Ginny learned about her brother, and Draco held her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder, and Mrs. Weasley looked on curiously but silently. The same could be said for Harry's fate, but when Ginny pulled back she saw tears glistening in Draco's as well and she could not help but kiss him for crying over his ex-enemy's fate.

Finally, Madam Pomfrey urged Mrs. Weasley out for causing too much commotion. They needed to rest. The two stayed side-by-side that night in the hospital wing, blatantly refusing to leave the other, even to sleep in a separate cot.

They put out the lights and lay in silence. Ginny thought she heard a door creak open, but when she didn't see anyone enter, she ignored it. She cuddled up closer to Draco, who kissed the top of her head and said, "Goodnight. I love you."

"Goodnight, I love you, too."

"Before you go to bed, I'd like a word," Ginny almost fell off the bed in shock. She saw Ron move out of the shadows. The last time she remembered seeing him was before the battle, and she jumped out of bed to embrace him.

He smiled down on her as he hugged her tightly. When he let go, she moved back to her spot next to Draco, who was now sitting up, and sat with her legs draped across his. Ron stood and looked between the pair for a moment.

"First, I want to make sure that you are okay, Ginny."

"I'm fine."

"And you, Malf- Draco. Are you okay?" Draco's chin almost dropped to the floor. The boy was asking him if he was okay, and calling him by his first name. "Don't look at me like that. You helped out so many people that night. It's the least I could do. You proved me wrong, and I am-" he took a deep breath, "I am sorry."

Ginny beamed, and Draco was speechless. "Thank the nice man, Draco," she urged.

"Thank you. I mean- what? You don't thank someone for apologizing. You forgive them. Honestly, it's a good thing no one is mean to you because you could never accept their apology. And I accept, by the way." He grinned cheekily down at Ginny and graciously up at Ron. "And I apologize for my years of stupidity."

"Accepted. Now. On to something Mum noticed earlier and confronted me about. Are you dating Malf- Draco?"

Ginny's eyes narrowed and she looked at Draco. "I don't know. We've never been on a date, so you really couldn't say that we are _dating_. And you haven't asked me to be your girlfriend. So, I guess not. No- Draco is just my best friend." Draco snorted in disbelief. "Oh, alright, and I love him. So maybe you could say he was my- I don't know. You answer the question if you are so keen to."

Ron watched the interchange with amused interest.

"Fine, I will. Muck it all up, why don't you. I agree that we aren't _dating_, because we have not dated. And I agree that you can't be my _girlfriend_, because it sounds so juvenile. It sounds like what Pansy is to some unfortunate boy. But you are my best friend, and I love you, so I conclude that we are best friends, in love." He shook his head. "But I didn't get much further than you. We really are rubbish at this you know."

"No you are rubbish, and I am cute."

"Shut up," he said playfully.

Ron cleared his throat, and Ginny looked at him sheepishly. "Right, so that is all that I need to know. You love each other. That is good. You be good to her, or I'll have to pull the big brother card and- kill you- and that would be a shame, because I've kind of grown to like you."

Ginny giggled and Draco looked at her in shock. "What was that noise? That was horrid. Every time you do that a kitten dies. Please don't turn into a bloody Parkinson."

Ginny snorted. "Fine."

Ron shook his head bemusedly and started to leave the room. At the door, he said, "Hermione and I are- engaged." Ginny gasped. "Leave it to war to show you what is most important in life. I proposed today, and thought you would like to know. She wants you to be her maid of honor. And, though I know that they will probably kill you, but I'd rather choose you than from amongst them because then I'll never live down the 'favoritism,' I'd like you to be my best man. Harry can't be there… And well, yeah."

Now Draco was in complete shock. "Sure. That'd be- great. Congratulations." Ron smiled and left.

"What the bloody hell just happened?"

Ginny kissed him soundly. "My protective older brother just accepted you. That means you have to stay with me, or pay the price."

"That I'll do," he said nuzzling her neck as they crawled back into their tiny, little uncomfortable cot.

The next morning came and with it came the need to actually leave the hospital wing, though, Ginny refused to be led anywhere without Draco. She went down to his room to help him pack, and he went up to hers to help her pack. They had quite a time trying to get him up the stairs, which kept turning into a slide, and several side-cracking minutes of laughter and climbing up slick ramps later, they made it.

As they loaded her things into her trunk, Ginny asked quietly, "So what do we do now? You go to your new flat, and I go back to the Burrow?"

"Nonsense. I'm not going anywhere without you. I'll tie you up and drag you home with me if I have to."

Ginny looked up at him, a calculating look in her eye. "Meaning?"

"Meaning you are moving in with me. I won't let you leave my side. Frankly, I'm a little sad that you would go."

Ginny leapt on top of him and knocked him to the ground. "Do you mean it? You want me to live with you?"

"Of course I want you to. I'm not asking your bloody brother to be my roommate, that would be too weird."

She kissed him soundly then resumed packing. He lay on the floor where she left him for a few moments before sitting up. "Will he hate me? If you come with me, I mean."

"Do you honestly care what my brother thinks?" she challenged.

"Yeah, actually, the bloke has rather grown on me, and if I am going to be stuck with him the rest of my life then I should hope he doesn't hate me."

"The rest of your life?"

"Well naturally. I said I loved you. I'm not going to go pick up someone else someday and kick you out. Who do you think I am?" Ginny just shook her head, but inside she was beaming.

"Well, if you care what he thinks then he can't be angry with you. That means that you respect him, and I think he can understand that. Besides, he and Hermione are moving in together, and they won't be married for months."

Draco nodded absently. He had picked up the picture of the two of them and the snowman. He thought that maybe someday someone could say the same about him. That he and Ginny would be married. The thought scared him slightly, but it sent a thrill down his spine. He knew that there would never be anyone else. How could anyone replace his best friend? The only friend that he had ever had. He looked at the snowman wondering if someday he would have little kids with wild red hair dressing up half in Gryffindor and half in Slytherin robes, shouting things at him about how their mum was a better dueler.

He knew then that he was lost in her. That there was no way that he could ever be apart from her. The idea of marriage and children was all too perfect, not frightening like it always had been. It was then that he knew that he would spend the rest of his life in love with his best friend who had reignited a fire within.


	20. Epilogue

Ginny sat in silence and stared out the window of her living room thinking about the events of the last few months. She had just graduated from her three-year Healer Training program at St Mungo's and had been hired onto their permanent staff. She loved her job, especially because she specialized in pediatric healing. Spending all of her time with children made her feel a constant ache for one of her own. 

She looked down at her wrist wishing that she would see the small silver bracelet that Draco had given her years ago, but it was no longer around her wrist and she sighed.

The silence was broken by a piercing cry, and she rushed to the other side of the room where a toddler had just woken from her nap. "Emma, shh, I am here, don't be scared!"

The little bushy haired redhead grinned up at her, "Ninny!"

"Well, Ginny, but close enough." _Ninny! I sound like someone's pet rabbit! Poor thing is too adorable for words_, and with that, Ginny scooped her up and took her out of the dimly lit room to the back of the apartment where she had toys galore.

Before she made it very far, though, she heard a shriek come from the room and stopped. "Emma, you go play and Auntie Ginny will be there in just a minute," she said as she turned back into the room.

The wailing had gotten a chorus by the time Ginny finally got to the makeshift crib. "Oh now honestly boys, what am I going to do with you? You know you don't want to scream at me! I feed you and change your diapers and give you kisses," and she promptly kissed each of the pink-faced screaming boys, "so you should save the screaming for your daddy." She carefully picked up the infants who stopped crying instantly, one in each arm, and made her way back to where Emma was already playing.

She had barely sunken into a chair when she heard the crack of apparation in the living room. "Dwaco!" Emma called out without looking up from her dolls.

"No honey, it is not Draco," Ginny replied softly.

She looked down at the boys and said, "You too are awfully lucky that I have so much energy, or I wouldn't be able to handle all of this up and down and in and out stuff." She sighed and stood to make her way back into the living room.

The sight of Hermione rushing in cut her off. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! I got caught talking to your mother, you know how she is, and I thought I would never get to leave, so finally I just left Ron there and got back here as quickly as I could. Were they too much trouble?"

"Whoa, Hermione. Breathe. Of course they weren't. Like my little nephews could ever be trouble! Except maybe when little Charlie here started hitting on a girl at the store. I thought that he might just start snogging her senseless. Then run off into a dark corner and make lots of illegitimate children what with the Weasley genes and all. And Harry! Well, he snuck some Fire Whiskey into his bottle this afternoon, and I tell you, the inappropriate words that come out of his mouth…"

Hermione made a face at Ginny and removed her sons from her, "Well, if you think so poorly of them I will just have to take them away!"

"No, I don't think poorly of them! I mean, Harry said some really flattering things about me when he was drunk, so you know, I don't mind," she finished with a grin.

"You are giving them all sorts of ideas you know. If they turn out like Fred and George I will hang you."

Emma finally came barreling out of the room her arms laden with dolls. "Mommy, mommy! Wook at Janie!" She gestured to her doll, which appeared to have had an unpleasant encounter with a red marker.

"Oh yes, she is lovely, come on dear, we need to get home. Your daddy can't wait to see you!" Hermione ushered the little girl toward the fireplace, and with a flash of green light, the four had disappeared, leaving Ginny alone in a huge apartment.

She wandered into the kitchen pondering cooking dinner, but it wasn't much fun to cook for one, so she grabbed a banana and plopped down onto the window seat that looked out over the park.

The apartment was too quiet and lonely for her to feel relaxed at all, so she thought about going out to Diagon Alley for some shopping, just to keep her occupied.

She walked over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the bowl on the mantle. He eyes glanced upon pictures of her and Draco over the previous years during Healer Training. Her eyes fell, and she sighed before throwing the powder into the fire and shouting, "Diagon Alley."

Minutes later she was window-shopping down the alley amidst the holiday crowd. Christmas was just around the corner, but she wasn't feeling in much of the holiday spirit. She decided that she should probably go ahead and do some shopping while she was out though.

Her first stop was Flourish and Blotts, where she picked up an elegantly crafted quill that she had seen Hermione eying during their last shopping trip. As she made her way through the shops, she picked up gifts here and there, but at the end of the street she saw something that made her stop. She stared through the window display of a small shop at a brilliant green cashmere jumper with a tiny red lion embroidered on the chest. Ginny eyed it a moment to long, and a saleswoman rushed out to greet her.

"Oh my dear, you must come in! Isn't it lovely! We just got it in today. Are you looking for a gift for that special someone?"

"No, I-" but she couldn't deny that it was just the sort of thing that Draco would like. And the little red lion. She knew that there was no reason for her to buy the gift, but the woman pressured her into it, so she relented and spent far more than she ought have for a gift that no one would receive on Christmas Day.

Finally, with all of her shopping done and arms laden with packages, Ginny returned to her darkened apartment. As soon as she got out of the Floo, she dropped her packages and plopped onto the floor without bothering to turn on the light. She was not a fan of shopping and it had been a long day with the kids.

She had just sprawled out on her back when a voice spoke from the darkness. "Are you just going to lay here in the dark? Honestly woman, I know that you have electricity."

Ginny shot straight up and said, "Lumos."

There, standing a few feet away from her was the tall blonde that she hadn't stopped thinking about in weeks. It seemed ages since she had last seen him, and she jumped to her feet.

"Draco! You're back early! I wasn't expecting you until after the New Year!" she rushed to him and crushed him in a hug.

"Yes, well, I pulled some strings and convinced them to let me leave early."

"You are a saint!" and her lips crashed onto his. Their embrace heated up quickly, and Draco finally had to push her away so that he didn't lose control of his mental capacity; he had things he wanted to tell her.

"I missed you," he said, and she nodded her head fervently.

"You can never, ever, go away again like that. Three weeks? Honestly, I thought I was going to die. I've been going crazy in this place all by myself."

"Trust me, at least you weren't stuck with a bunch of smelly old potions experts trying to give a seminar on antidotes. It was awful. I thought about you every second of the day, and decided that there was absolutely no way that they were keeping me away from you for a moment longer."

Ginny nodded and harrumphed. "Too right you are. If you every leave again, I'll be forced to do something drastic. Like put a permanent sticking charm on myself so that I am forever stuck to you."

"Mmm, yes, that would be effective. Or you could just tell me to stay. You know I'd stay if you told me to."

"I know, but this was a good experience for you."

"Yeah, it gave me a lot of time to think about things."

"Things like what?"

"Things like how I promised you that I would get your bracelet fixed."

"Oh, did you? I've been going mad without it. You know that I am constantly touching that thing."

"Indeed, my inscription was completely gone, so I thought that I would redo it for you."

"You did? Oh, you are amazing!" and she kissed him again.

"Enough of that or you'll never get your present."

"Fine. Where is it? I really want it."

Draco smiled and pulled a bracelet box out of his pocket. He opened it, pulled out her little silver bracelet, and fastened it to her arm. "It's too dark in here. I can't see the inscription," and she moved toward the light switch. She flipped the lights on and looked down at her bracelet.

Immediately she gasped, then whirled around and looked down at it again. Instead of its original inscription, "For my friend," it said, "Will you marry me?" She looked up and saw that Draco had come to her side and dropped down to his knee. Her breath stopped.

"Ginny, for the last four years, you have been all that I could think about. I have loved every minute that I have spent with you during these long years, and I cannot imagine anyone that I would rather spend my life with. You are beautiful, smart, witty, and caring. You are everything to me. You are my best friend. Will you do me the honor of also being my wife?"

Ginny tried unsuccessfully to hide the tears flowing from her eyes as she threw herself down at him. She kissed him with all of the love she had in her. She finally pulled away panting slightly, and he brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes! Of course it is a yes!" she threw her arms around him and kissed him again.

"Well, in that case, I have something else that I need to give you," and he pulled another small box from him pocket. She craned to see what was in it, but he hid it from sight as he slid it over her left ring finger. Finally, he revealed it, and she let out a sob of happiness. It was a platinum band with a diamond solitaire in the center, with a ruby on one side and an emerald on the other.

"Thank you," she whispered in awe. She held it up to her bracelet, which it matched perfectly. She looked up at him and said, "I love you so much!"

"I love you, too," he replied and kissed her on the cheek. "But I also love food, and I had a long day of traveling, so shall we go out for a nice dinner?"

Ginny grinned happily at him. "We shall."

To get to the fireplace, they had to wade through a sea of packages. Draco glimpsed a mound of green that caught his eye, and he opened the package. Ginny turned around, but it was too late. He was already examining the jumper.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that it is rude to peek at your Christmas presents?"

He grinned cheekily at her, "You tell me every year. This is for me? Even though I wasn't going to be home in time?"

"Well the lady guilted me into it. I figured that maybe I would send it by owl."

"Ginny! This amazing! I love it. It had a little red lion. Like you, my little lion." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Can I wear it now?"

"No! It is for Christmas!"

Five minutes later, Draco emerged from their bedroom looking like an angel with his new green sweater. Ginny's jaw dropped, and she stared unabashedly at him.

"That good looking?" he smirked at her. "And here you wanted me to wait."

But Ginny knew that there was no way she would ever not let him do what he wanted. She always cracked under the pressure of his fluttering eyelashes and breath-taking eyes. She decided that it wasn't fair, but that she didn't mind because she loved him. He had come along when she needed him the most. He was her best friend.

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading, and please leave a review to let me know what you think! 


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